CI.-»„cL.w                     -I* A*  1 

Irinity  College  Historical 
Society  Collection 

Trinity  College  Library 
Durham,  N.  C. 

Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2014 


https://archive.org/details/historyofnorthcaOOjohn_0 


History  of  the 

North  Carolina  Baptist 
State  Convention 


By  Livingston  Johnson 

Corresponding-  Secretary 


S3  f7  3 

RALEIGH,  N.  C.  : 
Presses  of  Edwards  &  Broughton  Printing  Co. 
1908. 


I     t  \ 

.     t  "-Wary 

tiro  &%io 


To  My  Friends 
The  Two  Hundred  Thousand  Baptists  in  North  Carolina 
This  Little  Book  is  Affectionately  Dedicated 


INDEX. 


PAGE. 

Army  Colportage   71 

Assembly  Grounds                                                      144,  146 

Baptist  University: 

First  Mention   49 

Resolution  for  Establishing   114 

Located  in  Raleigh   117 

Stringfield  Financial  Agent   122 

Opening  Session   131 

R.  T.  Vann  President   133 

Biblical  Recorder: 

First  Mention    20 

Publication  Begun   22 

Name  Changed   24 

Suspension  35,  37 

Convention  Elects  Editor   53,57,126,148 

Recorder  Company  Organized   134 

Buys  North  Carolina  Baptist   148 

Board  of  Missions: 

Appointed    15 

First  Appropriation   21 

Missionaries  Report   23 

Finch's  Great  Report   44 

Century  Educational  Fund   135 

Charity  and  Children  Founded   109 

Convention : 

Organization  General  Conference   10 

Organization  of  Convention   11 

Meredith's  Great  Address   13 

Western  Convention    42 

Greatest  Session    60 

State  and  Western  Unite   130 


VI 


INDEX. 


PAGE. 

Mid- Summer  Meeting    138 

Ministerial  Students,  First   19 

Ministers'  Relief  Board: 

First  Mention    108 

Location                                                              115,  116 

Orphanage : 

Association  Organized    105 

First  House  Built   105 

State  Aid  to  Higher  Education   120 

Sunday-School  Board: 

Established   72 

Changed  to  Sunday-School  Association   81 

Re-established    86 

Missions  and  Sunday  Schools   109 

Wake  Forest  College: 

First  Mention    18 

Endowment                                           61,  63,  88,  103,  147 

Taylor  President    105 

Poteat  President   143 

Woman's  Work: 

First  Societies   18 

Central  Committee                                          94,  103,  107 

Endorsed  by  Convention   108 

Sunbeams   113 

First  General  Meeting   118 

Separate  Convention   144 

Young  Woman's  Auxiliary   145 

Yates,  Matthew  T.: 

Beneficiary    32 

Ordained    43 

Returns  from  China   64,  83 

Death  of   113 


INTRODUCTORY. 

Columbus  Durham,  when  Corresponding  Secretary 
of  the  State  Convention,  performed  a  service  for  the 
Baptists  of  the  State,  which  must  last  through  all 
time.  He  gathered  the  minutes  of  the  Chowan  As- 
sociation from  1806  to  1845,  and  had  them  bound 
and  placed  in  the  Mission  Rooms.  He  then  collected 
the  minutes  of  the  State  Convention  from  its  organi- 
zation and  had  them  neatly  bound,  that  they  might  be 
preserved.  In  this  work  he  was  assisted  by  brethren 
John  E.  Ray  and  1ST.  B.  Cobb,  and  many  of  the  elect, 
both  men  and  women,  rendered  valuable  aid  by  send- 
ing copies  of  the  minutes  which  they  had  in  their 
possession.  Indeed,  Mr.  Ray  began  the  work  of  col- 
lecting the  minutes,  but  Dr.  Durham  had  the  first  vol- 
ume bound.  I  have  been  reading  this  glorious  his- 
tory at  odd  times,  and  have  never  read  a  romance 
that  was,  to  me,  more  thrillingly  interesting. 

As  I  read  the  record  contained  in  the  minutes  from 
year  to  year,  the  thought  came  to  me  that  this  his- 
tory is  too  precious  and  valuable  to  be  kept  locked  up 
in  this  office.  It  seemed  to  me  that  the  Baptists, 
especially  the  younger  ones,  in  the  State,  should  be 
made  familiar  with  the  heroic  deeds  of  our  Baptist 
fathers.  The  more  I  read,  the  stronger  grew  this 
conviction.  Several  brethren  asked  that  this  matter 
be  put  in  permanent  form.  Thus  encouraged,  I  have 
decided  to  undertake  the  work. 


8 


INTRODUCTION. 


This  little  book  will  consist  of  extracts  from  the 
minutes,  with  just  enough  explanatory  notes  to  make 
it  a  connected  history. 

I  sincerely  trust  that  others  may  find  it  as  inter- 
esting as  did  the  compiler,  when  he  read  it,  and  that 
it  may  awaken  in  us  an  earnest  desire  to  do  our  part 
in  building  a  worthy  structure  on  a  foundation  so 
wisely  laid.  Livingston  Johnson. 


HISTORY 

OF 

North  Carolina  Baptist  State  Convention. 


CHAPTER  I. 
The  Beginning  of  Organization. 

The  Baptist  State  Convention  was  conceived  in  the 
consecrated  brain  of  Martin  Ross.  In  the  minutes  of 
the  Chowan  Association,  held  in  May,  1809,  Elder 
Martin  Ross  submitted  a  motion,  "embracing  an  in- 
quiry as  to  the  propriety  of  establishing  a  meeting  of 
general  correspondence,  to  be  comprised  of  the  neigh- 
boring associations." 

The  minutes  of  18$9  contain  the  following:  "Busi- 
ness of  forming  a  general  meeting  for  correspondence 
introduced  last  year,  was  taken  up ;  and  to  the  com- 
mittee then  appointed,  Elder  Dossey  is  now  added, 
who  presented  to  the  Association  the  following  re- 
port :  'Your  Committee  beg  leave  to  report  a  disagree- 
ment to  the  partial  and  contracted  plan  first  under 
consideration ;  and  would  warmly  recommend  that 
this  meeting  be  so  formed  and  constituted  as  to  admit 
freely,  and  upon  equal  ground,  all  the  Baptist  Asso- 
ciations in  the  State,  similar,  perhaps  to  that  formed, 
and  now  forming,  by  the  numerous  Baptist  Associa- 
tions in  the  State  of  Virginia.'  " 


10 


HIST0RY  OF  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA 


The  Committee  addressed  a  circular  to  all  the  As- 
sociations, and  received  a  favorable  response  from 
many  of  them.  Consequently  a  meeting  was  called, 
to  be  held  on  "Friday  before  the  first  Lord's  Day  in 
June  (1811)  at  the  falls  of  Tar  River,  to  form  a 
constitution  for  the  organization  of  such  a  meeting." 
The  "North  Carolina  Baptist  General  Meeting  of 
Conference"  was  organized,  and  met  annually.  Mar- 
tin Ross  was  the  leading  spirit.  There  is  no  record 
of  this  General  Meeting  at  hand,  but  from  the  refer- 
ences in  the  minutes  of  the  Chowan  Association,  we 
gather  that  its  object  was  to  secure  more  perfect  co- 
operation, and  to  promote  the  interests  of  Missions. 
Missionary  societies  Avere  organized  in  the  Asocia- 
tion,  and  the  name  of  "General  Meeting  of  Confer- 
ence," was  changed  to  "The  North  Carolina  Baptist 
Benevolent  Society." 

The  minutes  of  1826  contain  this  resolution:  "Re- 
solved, That  Brethren  M.  Ross,  Meredith,  Newborn, 
Jordan  and  Hall  be  appointed  to  correspond  with  the 
Associations  of  the  State,  with  a  view  to  forming  a 
State  Convention,  and  report  to  our  next  Associa- 
tion." 

At  the  next  meeting  (1827)  the  Committee  re- 
ported that  nothing  had  been  done,  and,  on  motion, 
they  were  discharged.  The  old  adage  that  "it  is  al- 
ways darkest  just  before  daylight,"  was  certainly  true 
in  this  instance.  The  agitation  soon  bore  fruit,  for 
in  the  minutes  of  1830  we  read  these  words:  "Re- 


BAPTIST  STATE  CONVENTION. 


11 


solved,  That  this  Association  cordially  approve  of  the 
formation  of  the  Baptist  Convention  of  this  State, 
recently  organized  at  Greenville,  and  zealously  pa- 
tronize its  objects. 

"Resolved,  That  this  Association  respectfully 
recommend  to  the  churches  composing  this  body,  that 
they  take  into  special  consideration  the  claims  of  the 
Baptist  Convention  recently  organized  in  this  State, 
and  patronize  its  objects  according  to  their  several 
abilities." 

There  was  held  in  the  town  of  Greenville,  jST.  G, 
on  March  26,  1830,  a  meeting  of  "The  North  Caro- 
lina Baptist  Benevolent  Society." 

The  members  of  this  society  concluded  that  the 
time  had  come  to  "lengthen  their  cords  and  strengthen 
their  stakes,"  as  the  following  resolution,  "which  was 
adopted  without  a  dissenting  voice,"  shows:  "Re- 
solved, That  this  society  be  transformed  into  a  State 
Convention." 

Few  and  simple  are  those  words,  but  their  full 
import  eternity  alone  can  reveal.  That  short  resolu- 
tion called  into  being  the  North  Carolina  Baptist 
State  Convention,  an  organization  whose  influence 
in  our  commonwealth,  especially  in  regard  to  Baptist 
affairs,  none  of  us  can  fully  appreciate.  Martin 
Ross,  who  had  dreamed  of  this  Convention,  was  not 
present  at  its  organization.  God  had  called  him  to 
that  "great  Convention  in  the  skies."  There  were 
fourteen  brethren  present,  and  their  names  are  given 


12 


HISTORY  OF  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA 


as  follows :  P.  W.  Dowel,  E.  M.  Guffie,  William  P. 
Bidclle,  Samuel  Wait,  John  Armstrong,  Thomas 
Meredith,  Charles  W.  Skinner,  James  McDaniel,  II. 
Austin,  P.  P.  Lawrence,  R.  S.  Long,  Thomas  D. 
Mason,  George  Stokes,  R.  S.  Blount.  Eleler  P.  W. 
Dowel  was  elected  president,  Elder  John  Armstrong 
recording  secretary. 

It  is  evident  that  they  had  agreed  beforehand  to 
organize  a  Convention  at  this  time,  for  a  constitution 
wras  adopted  immediately  after  the  resolution,  given 
above,  was  passeel.  The  Mission  work,  prior  to  the 
organization  of  the  Convention,  seems  to  have  been 
dene  through  Missionary  societies,  in  the  several  As- 
sociations, rather  than  through  the  churches,  and  the 
"Baptist  Benevolent  Society"  seems  to  have  borne 
about  the  same  relation  to  these  associational  societies 
that  the  Convention  now  bears  to  the  churches.  In- 
deed, the  Convention  simply  took  the  place  of  the 
general  Benevolent  Society,  leaving  the  local  societies 
just  as  they  were. 

Thomas  Meredith  was  appointed  to  prepare  a  circu- 
lar, to  be  attached  to  the  report  of  this  Convention. 
This  circular  letter  is  a  carefully  prepared  and  very 
able  document,  It  is  addressed  to  the  Baptists  of 
North  Carolina,  and  covers  thirteen  pages  of  fine 
print.  We  learn  from  this  letter  that  the  Conven- 
tion was  organized  for  the  purpose,  primarily,  of  giv- 
ing the  Gospel  to  North  Carolina,  and  then  to  all  the 
world.    To  do  this  they  see  the  absolute  necessity 


BAPTIST  STATE  CONVENTION. 


13 


of  having  a  better  equipped  ministry,  hence  minis- 
terial education  becomes  one  of  the  important  objects 
of  the  Convention.  The  letter  is  a  clear,  bold  ex- 
pression of  earnest  and  brave  men,  who  are  entering 
upon  a  great  work,  with  a  full  consciousness  of  the 
difficulties  that  confront  them.  They  know  that  the 
chief  obstacle  will  be  opposition  from  their  own 
brethren.  They  reckon  with  this  in  the  outset,  and 
meet  it  in  a  very  straightforward,  manly  way.  A 
few  extracts  from  this  magnificent  paper  will  give 
us  some  idea  of  the  spirit  of  the  men  who  organized 
the  Convention,  and  the  purpose  that  inspired  them 
in  its  organization. 

Meredith's  great  address. 

"A  wish  has  prevailed  to  some  extent,  and  it  is 
believed  to  be  neither  an  unreasonable  nor  an  un- 
charitable one,  to  see  Baptist  churches  in  many  places 
where  they  are  not;  and  to  see  all  under  the  super- 
intendence of  a  faithful  and  successful  ministry.  It 
is  a  plain  case  that  where  there  is  no  church  there 
adequate  resources  for  the  immediate  support  of  the 
Gospel  can  not  be  expected.  And  it  is  equally  plain 
that  the  insufficiency  of  a  large  proportion  of  the 
organized  churches  in  the  State  is  nearly,  if  not  quite, 
as  great,  It  is  the  grand  object  of  the  Convention 
to  supply  these  deficiencies.  *  #  *  It  is  a  State 
enterprise  in  which  the  welfare  and  reputation  of  the 
denomination  are  involved  and  in  which  many  in- 


14  HISTORY  OF  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA 


dividuals  are  personally  and  deeply  interested." 
After  stating  that  the  work  in  our  own  State  would 
receive  special  attention,  we  find  this  sentence :  "This 
explanation  is  made,  not  for  the  purpose  of  eluding 
any  of  the  hostility,  which  is  usually  waged  against 
Foreign  Missions,  for  all  missions  are  substantially 
the  same,  but  for  the  purpose  of  having  it  distinctly 
seen  that  the  primary  object  of  the  Convention  at 
present,  is  to  repair  the  waste  places  of  our  own  State." 

Those  who  oppose  the  "organized  work"  are  ad- 
dressed kindly  but  with  great  candor,  as  the  follow- 
ing extract  will  show :  "Brethren,  you  who  are  averse 
/to  State  Conventions  and  to  Missions  and  to  Educa- 
tion Societies,  and  who  have  carried  your  hostility 
so  far  as  to  threaten  with  excommunication  those  of 
your  church  members  who  dare  to  think  and  act 
differently  from  yourselves  in  these  matters,  we  wish 
it  distinctly  understood  that  we  have  no  quarrel  with 
you  of  any  kind.  We  neither  dislike  nor  envy  you, 
nor  do  we  despise  you,  nor  do  we  fear  you.  We  re- 
gard you  as  Christians,  as  Baptists  and  as  brethren; 
but  we  consider  you  sadly  mistaken,  and  we  sincerely 
regret  the  loss  of  your  services  in  the  important  and 
interesting  work  before  us.  *  *  *  You  may 
misrepresent  our  intentions  if  you  choose,  you  may 
impugn  our  reputations  and  you  may  conflict  with 
our  movements;  but  you  can  not  injure  us  nor  can 
you  prevent  the  accomplishment  of  our  plans.  The 
improvement  of  the  ministry    and    of  the  Baptist 


BAPTIST  STATE  CONVENTION. 


15 


churches  of  North  Carolina  will  be  effected,  and  by 
means  proposed,  either  sooner  or  later. "  Then  fol- 
lows an  earnest  appeal  to  those  who  are  friendly  to 
the  Convention  and  its  work.  The  temptation  is 
great  to  quote  more  largely  from  this  inspiring  letter, 
but  I  forbear,  and  simply  give  the  closing  words  of 
this  ringing  appeal :  /*Men  and  brethren,  who  live  in 
the  brightest  day  the  world  has  ever  seen,  who  are 
permitted  to  witness  events  which  would  have  dazzled 
the  vision  and  startled  the  faith  of  prophets  and 
apostles — who  are  favored  with  opportunities  which 
no  preceding  generation  was  ever  permitted  to  en- 
joy— who  sustain  responsibilities  more  fearful,  per- 
haps, than  any  which  ever  before  oppressed  the  con- 
science of  men — and  whose  passage  through  life  is 
swifter  than  the  flight  of  the  weaver's  shuttle ;  con- 
sider, we  beseech  you,  who  and  where  you  are.  Mark 
the  surprising  and  momentous  peculiarities  of  your 
situation !  Let  your  own  hearts  speak  and  more  need 
not  be  said.  This  single  advocate  will  set  up  a  plea 
within  you,  more  moving  than  the  lofty  pathos  of 
Isaiah,  or  all  the  winning  charms  of  an  Apollos ;  and 
an  appeal  which  surely  will  not,  can  not  be  set  up 
in  vain." 

A  "Board  of  Directors"  was  appointed,  which  cor- 
responds to  our  Mission  Board,  and  a  dozen  brethren 
were  selected  as  agents,  whose  business  seems  to  have 
been  to  present  the  claims  of  the  Convention  as  widely 
as  possible  in  their  respective  sections  of  the  State. 


16 


HISTORY  OF  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA 


The  basis  of  representation  was  fixed  at  one  delegate 
for  every  ten  dollars  contributed  to  the  objects  of  the 
Convention.  The  delegates  at  first  were  not  from 
the  churches,  but  from  the  Missionary  societies  in  the 
churches. 

Having  finished  the  business  of  this  momentous 
meeting,  these  "heroes  of  the  faith"  adjourned  to 
meet  at  "Rogers's  Meeting-House,"  in  Wake  County, 
in  April,  1831. 


BAPTIST  STATE  CONVENTION". 


17 


CHAPTEK  II. 
1831—1842. 


Rogers's  Meeting  House,  Wake  County,  Apeil 
15-18,  1831. 

At  the  second  meeting  there  were  thirty-seven  dele- 
gates. Dowd  was  again  elected  President;  John 
Armstrong,  Corresponding  Secretary;  ~R.  G.  Smith, 
Recording  Secretary,  and  Henry  Austin,  Treasurer. 
The  duties  of  the  corresponding  secretary  were  not 
the  same  then  as  now.  He  had  a  sort  of  general  over- 
sight of  the  work,  but  did  not  give  his  whole  time  to 
it,  and  received  no  compensation  for  his  services. 
Elder  Samuel  Wait  was  elected  by  the  Board  of 
Managers,  which  met  after  adjournment  of  the  first 
Convention,  as  General  Agent  of  the  Convention.  His 
duties  were  about  the  same  as  those  now  required  of 
the  Corresponding  Secretary.  His  compensation  was 
a  dollar  a  day,  and  the  salaries  of  the  missionaries 
were  to  be  ten  dollars  a  month  for  single  men  and  not 
more  than  twenty-five  dollars  a  month  for  married 
men.  Pour  missionaries  were  employed  for  next 
year;  two  for  six  weeks  each,  one  for  three  months 
and  one  for  two  months.  These  missionaries  were 
simply  evangelists,  who  visited  churches,  held  meet- 
ings and  explained  the  work  of  the  Convention. 

There  are  two  things  observed  in  the  minutes  of 
the  second  session  of  the  Convention,  which  we  some- 
times claim  as  modern  improvements.  These  are 
2 


18  HISTORY  OF  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA 

Woman's  Missionary  Societies,  and  the  Volunteer 
Mission  work.  Brethren  were  here  as  delegates  from 
Raleigh,  Bethel  and  Cape  Fear  Female  Benevolent 
Societies;  and  a  little  farther  on,  seventeen  brethren 
offered  a  month's  gratuitous  service  each,  to  he  sent 
where,  in  the  judgment  of  the  Board,  their  labors 
would  accomplish  most. 

The  Treasurer's  report  shows  three  columns,  one  for 
Home  Missions,  one  for  Foreign  Missions,  one  for 
Education,  and  one  for  totals.  Be  it  remembered  that 
Home  Missions  in  those  early  years  meant  State 
Missions.  We  can  understand  now,  why  so  many 
brethren  in  the  State,  even  to  this  day,  get  Home  and 
State  Missions  confused.  For  nearly  forty  years  of 
the  Convention's  life,  Home  Missions  meant  State 
Missions. 

Reeve's  Chapel,  August  3-7,  1832. 

P.  W.  Dowd  declined  re-election  as  President, 
and  W.  P.  Biddle  was  elected  to  that  position.  G. 
W.  Hufham  is  a  delegate  to  this  Convention.  This 
is  the  first  mention  of  a  name  which  has  been  an 
honored  one  in  our  Convention  ever  since. 

Steps  are  taken  looking  to  the  establishment  of  a 
college,  as  the  following  resolution  shows:  "Resolved 
unanimously,  That  the  Convention  deem  it  expedient 
to  purchase  a  suitable  farm,  and  to  adopt  other  pre- 
liminary measures  for  the  establishment  of  a  Baptist 
Literary  Institution  in  this  State  on  the  Manual 
Labor  principle." 

A  committee  was  appointed  to  solicit  funds  with 


BAPTIST  STATE  CONVENTION. 


19 


which  to  purchase  a  farm.  Two  thousand  dollars  had 
already  been  given  for  this  purpose.  The  committee 
was  authorized  to  contract  for  such  plantation  as  in 
their  judgment  would  be  "adapted  to  the  object  to 
which  it  is  to  be  appropriated."  This  committee 
consisted  of  J.  G.  Hall,  William  K.  Hinton,  J.  Puri- 
foy,  A.  S.  Winn,  and  S.  J.  Jeffries.  Already  some- 
thing had  been  done  toward  ministerial  education. 
Brother  George  W.  Thompson,  who  was  conducting 
a  private  school  in  Wake  County,  generously  pro- 
posed to  instruct,  without  charge,  beneficiaries  of  the 
Board.  William  Jones  and  Patrick  Connelly  were 
adopted  as  the  first  beneficiaries,  and  placed  in 
Brother  Thompson's  school.  Already  there  was  some 
opposition  to  ministerial  education,  as  we  gather  from 
the  following: 

"Whereas,  reports  are  industriously  circulated 
that  it  is  the  design  of  this  institution,  by  endeavor- 
ing to  promote  the  education  of  young  ministers,  to 
suppress  the  preaching  of  those  not  favored  with  such 
advantages ;  therefore, 

"Resolved,  That  this  Convention  deeply  regret  that 
any  person  should  be  so  wicked  as  to  propagate  such 
scandal,  and  that  any  should  be  so  weak  as  to  give 
it  credence;  inasmuch  as  this  body  has  so  carefully 
guarded  against  any  mistake  on  this  subject,  and  every 
person  of  the  most  ordinary  intelligence  must  know 
that  the  Convention  has  not  the  power  to  effect  such 
an  object  if  they  even  possessed  the  inclination." 

At  this  Convention  the  necessity  for  a  denomina- 


20  HISTORY  OF  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA 

fional  paper  was  recognized.  In  his  report  to  the 
Convention,  the  General  Agent,  Elder  Samuel  Wait, 
says :  "It  will  easily  he  seen  that  we  have  long  labored 
under  great  and  very  serious  disadvantages  from  the 
want  of  a  well  conducted  religious  journal.  Such  a 
paper  we  might  hope,  being  adapted  to  the  existing 
state  of  our  churches,  would  be  productive  of  the 
best  consequences.  Much  information  on  important 
subjects  could  be  imparted  to  the  churches  and  our 
congregations  at  large,  many  prejudices  removed,  and 
the  way  soon  prepared  for  securing  to  the  Convert 
tion  annually,  a  larger  amount  of  aid."  The  follow- 
ing resolution  was  adopted  unanimously: 

"Whereas,  This  body  has  been  informed  that 
Brother  T.  Meredith,  of  Edenton,  contemplates  the 
publication  of  a  religious  periodical,  to  be  issued 
monthly  at  the  moderate  price  of  one  dollar  per  an- 
num; therefore, 

"Resolved,  That  this  Convention  highly  approve 
the  undertaking,  and  earnestly  recommend  their 
brethren  to  give  it  a  liberal  patronage." 

This  much  space  has  been  given  to  the  school  and 
the  paper  because  no  other  instrumentalities  have 
had  so  much  to  do  with  the  upbuilding  of  our  de- 
nomination. The  consummate  wisdom  of  our  fathers 
is  seen  in  that  they  recognized  the  necessity  for  both 
of  these  agencies  at  the  same  time,  and  started  them 
•:  on  their  useful  careers.  Through  all  the  years  they 
have  gone  on  hand  in  hand  strengthening  our  Baptist 
Eion. 


BAPTIST  STATE  CONVENTION. 


21 


"Resolved,  that  no  member  of  the  Board  of  this 
Convention  (Board  of  Missions)  shall  receive  for  any 
services  he  may  render,  any  pecuniary  compensation 
from  the  funds  of  this  Convention." 

That  resolution  remains  unchanged.  The  members 
of  the  Board  do  not  even  receive  their  traveling  ex- 
penses. The  salary  of  the  General  Agent,  as  that  of 
the  Corresponding  Secretary  now,  was  paid  from 
"the  three  several  funds  of  this  institution  in  a  pro- 
portion corresponding  to  the  amount  contributed  to 
each  during  the  year." 

One  hundred  dollars  was  appropriated  to  the 
Church  at  Wilmington  on  condition  that  they  secure 
a  man  who  will  be  acceptable  to  the  Convention. 

In  the  report  of  the  Committee  on  "Home  Mis- 
sions/' which  meant  State  Missions,  attention  is  called 
to  great  destitution.  In  Brunswick,  Halifax,  and 
Eobeson  Counties,  there  was  not  a  Baptist  preacher. 
In  Wilmington  and  all  the  lower  part  of  New  Hanover 
the  people  were  entirely  destitute.  Wake  and  Johnston 
were  mission  fields.  Elder  James  Dennis  was  mis- 
sionary in  these  two  last-named  counties,  and  had 
constituted  a  church  at  Smithfield,  with  forty  or  fifty 
members. 

Carteedge's  Creek,  November  1-6,  1833. 

W.  P.  Biddle  was  elected  President,  John  Arm- 
strong, Corresponding  Secretary;  Amos  J.  Battle, 
Recording  Secretary,  and  Charles  McAllister,  Treas- 
urer. 


22  HISTORY  OF  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA 


The  minutes  of  that  session  are  missing  and  we 
have  not  the  history  in  detail.  We  gather  from  other 
sources,  however,  that  Mr.  Meredith  had  begun  the 
publication  of  his  paper,  and  the  committee  ap- 
pointed to  purchase  land  for  the  Labor  Manual  School 
reported  that  they  had  procured  a  farm  of  one  hun- 
dred acres  from  Dr.  Calvin  Jones,  of  Wake  County. 

Cashie  Meeting  House,  Bertie  County, 
November  1-5,  1834. 

Alfred  Dockery  was  elected  President.  At  this 
Convention  delegates  were  appointed  to  the  "Trien- 
nial Meeting  of  the  Baptist  General  Convention  of 
the  United  States."  These  delegates  were  Thomas 
Meredith,  Samuel  Wait,  and  Amos  J.  Battle.  Fra- 
ternal messengers  were  sent  to  the  South  Carolina 
and  Virginia  Conventions,  and  this  custom  was  kept 
up  for  many  years. 

The  State  was  divided  into  four  fields,  as  we  gather 
from  the  following: 

"Kesolved,  That  the  following  brethren  be  ap- 
pointed agents  to  perform  each  six  months  service 
in  the  proportion  of  territory  respectively  appro- 
priated to  each,  namely,  James  Thomas,  in  that  dis- 
trict lying  west  of  the  Yadkin,  taking  in  also  the 
county  of  Surry ;  John  Culpepper,  Sr.,  in  that  lying 
between  the  Yadkin  and  the  Cape  Fear,  including  also 
the  counties  of  Chatham,  Person  and  Caswell;  Wm. 
J.  Finley,  in  that  lying  between  the  Cape  Pear  and 
the  Tar,  embracing  also  the  counties  of  Halifax  and 


BAPTIST  STATE  CONVENTION. 


23 


Northampton;  and  George  M.  Thompson,  in  that 
included  between  the  last-named  boundary  and  the 
Atlantic. 

"Resolved  further,  That  the  above  agents  be  al- 
lowed a  compensation  of  seventy-five  cents  per  day." 

The  reports  of  the  four  agents,  or  missionaries,  are 
very  encouraging.  From  their  reports  we  glean  some 
important  facts.  There  were  twenty-seven  Associa- 
tions in  the  State,  and  three  others  partly  in  this  State 
and  partly  in  South  Carolina.  Nineteen  co-operate 
with  the  Convention,  and  in  these  nineteen  over  four 
thousand  were  added  by  baptism  last  year.  The  other 
eight  Associations  were  opposed  to  Wake  Forest,  the 
Convention  and  all  organized  work.  "It  is  clearly 
seen  that  all  these  churches  and  religious  bodies  op- 
posed to  practical  godliness,  and  the  missionary  enter- 
prise are  lean  and  dry  like  Gideon's  fleece,  while  those 
decidedly  friendly  are  growing  and  flourishing  like 
the  rose." 

There  is  a  most  hopeful  note  running  through  all 
the  reports  at  this  Convention.  A  brief  review  of 
the  four  years  of  the  Convention's  life,  shows  very 
much  accomplished.  Opposition  is  dying  away;  de- 
nomination growing  in  influence ;  arrangements  made 
to  send  the  Gospel  to  many  destitute  sections  of  the 
State;  Wake  Forest  established  and  seventy  students 
present  the  first  year;  more  than  thirteen  thousand 
dollars  subscribed,  and  part  of  it  paid  to  erect  suit- 
able building  at  Wake  Forest;  missionaries  have 
traveled  through  the  whole  State  and  great  revivals 


24 


HISTORY  OF  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA 


resulted;  enlargement  of  State  Mission  work;  State 
divided  into  twelve  sections  and  a  missionary  placed 
in  each  section  for  six  months.  This  is  an  advance 
of  two  hundred  per  cent.  ~No  wonder  the  writer  of 
the  report  breaks  forth  in  the  joyous  acclaim:  "The 
Lord  hath  done  great  things  for  us,  whereof  we  are 
glad." 

Union  Camp  Ground,  Rowan  County,  October 
20  to  November  3,  1835. 

"The  Interpreter  "  whose  publication  was  begun  in 
1833,  was  changed  to  a  weekly,  and  called  "the  Bibli- 
cal Recorder/'  At  this  Convention,  John  Culpepper, 
Sr.,  and  Francis  Hawley,  father  of  Senator  Hawley, 
of  Connecticut,  were  employed  as  General  Agents. 
The  following  resolution  shows  the  spirit  of  the  Con- 
vention in  regard  to  Foreign  Missions: 

"Resolved,  That  we  highly  approve  the  resolution 
of  the  Triennial  Convention  to  raise  one  hundred 
thousand  dollars  for  Foreign  Missions  next  year,  and 
that  we  will  use  our  best  efforts  to  pay  our  full  pro- 
portion of  the  sum." 

Hear  the  brethren  as  they  speak  of  "eliciting,  com- 
bining and  directing": 

"Resolved,  That  our  agents  and  missionaries  be 
instructed  to  learn  the  number  of  Associations,  minis- 
ters and  private  members  of  the  denomination  in 
the  State,  also  how  many  of  the  above  are  favorable 
to  missions  and  how  many  are  not — together  with  the 
addresses  of  the  ministers." 

In  its  report  to  the  Convention,  written  by  John 


BAPTIST  STATE  CONVENTION. 


25 


Armstrong,  the  Board  considers  the  "unsettled  con- 
dition of  our  population  as  a  source  of  discourage- 
ment and  disappointment.  Many  of  our  most  effi- 
cient brethren  have  removed  to  the  distant  West  and 
many  more  are  on  the  eve  of  departure." 

The  Wilmington  Church  was  reported  to  be  in  a 
prosperous  condition.  A  committee  was  appointed 
to  adopt  measures  that  might  tend  to  secure  the  ser- 
vices of  an  efficient  pastor  for  the  Raleigh  Church. 
In  concluding  this  report  John  Armstrong  says: 
"Everything  that  the  Convention  has  touched  has 
prospered.  By  the  grace  of  God  our  missionaries 
have  been  successful  in  turning  souls  to  the  Lord ;  and 
our  agents  have,  to  a  very  great  extent,  raised  up  the 
denomination  to  a  sense  of  its  duties  and  of  the 
wants  of  the  people.  The  Great  Head  of  the  Church 
has  especially  blessed  the  Wake  Forest  Institute. 
The  past  has  been  one  continual  series  of  successes 
for  which  our  prayer  is,  'Lord  give  us  thankful 
hearts.'  The  future  is  before  us — we  have  the  promise 
of  Him  who  is  truth  itself  that  if  we  faint  not  we 
shall  reap." 

J.  S.  Ballard  is  elected  Sunday  School  agent.  This 
is  the  first  mention  of  such  an  agent.  The  cause  of 
temperance  is  declining.  There  are  seventeen  stills 
in  the  West.  Many  church  members  are  engaged  in 
the  business. 

The  necessity  for  a  Female  Seminary  is  suggested, 
but  no  steps  are  taken  looking  to  the  establishment  of 
such  an  institution. 


26  HISTORY  OF  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA 


County  Line,  November  11-15,  1836. 

John  Kerr,  and  A.  M.  Poindexter,  from  the  Gen- 
eral Association  of  Virginia,  and  H.  A.  Wilcox,  repre- 
senting the  American  Home  Missionary  Society,  were 
welcomed  to  seats.  This  is  first  mention  of  the  Ameri- 
can Home  Mission  Society.  Committee  appointed  to 
communicate  with  the  Baptists  in  Georgia,  South 
Carolina,  Virginia  and  District  of  Columbia  respect- 
ing the  erection  of  a  suitable  monument  to  the 
memory  of  Luther  Rice. 

"The  Committee  to  whom  was  referred  the  subject 
of  a  Female  Seminary  beg  to  report :  That  they  have 
had  the  matter  under  consideration,  and  have  come 
to  the  conclusion  that  it  is  not  expedient  at  present, 
to  establish  such  Seminary.  Such  are  the  claims  and 
wants  of  the  institute  now  under  the  care  of  the  Con- 
vention, that  it  would  appear  to  the  committee  that  it 
would  too  much  divide  the  attention  and  resources  of 
our  friends  and  patrons  to  create  a  new  institute  at 
this  time."  This  report  was  signed  by  Wm.  Hooper, 
Chairman. 

A  committee  was  appointed  "to  take  immediate 
measures  to  secure  the  amount  of  $17,000  for  the 
purpose  of  establishing  a  professorship  fo?  theological 
instruction  in  this  State." 

Extracts  from  report  on  periodicals :  "Your  com- 
mittee think  that  it  is  a  cause  of  just  congratulation 
that  our  denomination  enjoys  the  honor  of  having 
originated  the  first  religious  periodical  in  the  State." 
Further  down  in  the  report  occurs  this  despondent 


BAPTIST  STATE  CONVENTION. 


27 


sentence:  "You  may  suppose,  therefore,  that  it  was 
not  without  feelings  of  painful  interest  that  we  have 
learned  that  the  very  existence  of  our  paper  was  in 
jeopardy ;  that  the  patronage  it  received  was  not  at  all 
commensurate  with  its  necessities;  and  that  in  fact, 
but  for  certain  facilities  of  publication  which  the 
editor  enjoys,  even  the  expenses  of  its  publication 
could  not  be  met."  The  committee  recommended  that 
an  agent  for  the  Recorder  be  put  in  the  field  and 
that  the  friends  of  the  paper  pledge  themselves  for 
his  support.  This  recommendation  was  adopted,  and 
Elder  Francis  Hawley  was  employed  as  agent. 

The  report  on  Home  (State)  Missions  contains 
these  words:  "The  Home  Missions  department  con- 
stitutes one  of  the  most  important  branches  of  opera- 
tion in  which  the  Convention  is  engaged.  It  is  that 
on  the  success  of  which  depends,  to  a  great  extent,  the 
success  of  all  the  others.  It  is  to  this  that  we  must 
look  for  the  cultivation  of  the  soil,  from  which  alone 
our  resources  can  be  obtained.  It  is  this,  therefore, 
to  which  the  attention  of  the  Convention  should  be 
directed  as  a  matter  of  radical  interest," 

Francis  Hawley,  one  of  the  general  agents,  has 
encountered  a  spirit  of  apathy  which  alarms  him.  He 
says :  "It  is  a  painful  fact  that  almost  general  apathy 
prevails  among  the  churches  where  I  have  traveled 
relative  to  the  interest  of  the  Redeemer's  Kingdom. 
The  Church  has  evidently  drunk  deep  into  a  worldly 
spirit;  and  many  who,  a  few  years  ago,  seemed  to 
run  well,  now  seem  to  be  bending  all  their  energies 


28 


HISTORY  OF  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA 


to  amass  a  fortune.  It  is  evident  that  Christians  do 
not  realize  their  obligation,  hence  there  is  but  little 
spontaneous  action."  Further  on  in  his  report  he 
says :  "There  can  be  but  little  doubt  that  the  Sabbath 
School  and  temperance  cause  are  on  the  retrograde; 
many  who  once  put  their  hands  to  the  plow  have 
looked  back." 

John  Blount,  of  Edenton,  bequeathed  his  entire 
estate,  worth  ten  or  eleven  thousand  dollars,  to  Wake 
Forest  Institute.  John  Armstrong,  in  the  report  on 
education,  recommended  that  measures  be  devised  to 
add  six  or  seven  thousand  dollars  to  this  bequest,  and 
with  it  a  chair  of  Sacred  Literature  be  established, 
to  be  called  the  Blount  Professorship.  It  was  likely, 
when  acting  on  this  report,  that  the  committee  was 
appointed  to  secure  $17,000  to  establish  a  theologi- 
cal professorship. 

No  general  agent  was  employed  for  the  ensuing 
year.  The  matter  was  left  in  the  hands  of  the 
Board  with  "power  to  act." 

May's  Chapel,  Chatham  County,  November 
3-7,  1837. 

A  resolution  was  passed  requiring  the  Missionaries 
to  make  quarterly  reports  to  the  Corresponding  Secre- 
tary. 

A  proposition  was  submitted  from  the  Baptists  of 
South  Carolina  looking  to  the  union  of  the  papers  of 
the  two  States.  The  Convention  heartily  favored  the 
union,  "but  are  of  the  opinion  that  it  is  indispensable 
to  the  interests  of  this  Convention  that  the  publica- 
tion be  issued  in  some  part  of  this  State." 


BAPTIST  STATE  CONVENTION. 


29 


"Resolved,  That  the  brethren  are  affectionately  re- 
quested to  make  efforts  for  the  increase  of  the  funds 
of  the  Convention  generally,  but  especially  Home 
Missions  and  education." 

The  Committee  on  Religious  Instruction  of  Slaves 
urged  that  places  be  provided  for  them  in  the  houses 
of  worship,  and  that  their  religious  instruction  re- 
ceive special  attention. 

Missionaries  for  the  first  time  are  asked  to  take 
collections.  Hitherto  because  of  the  prejudice  against 
it  they  had  been  instructed  not  to  take  collections. 
The  Treasurer's  report  shows  a  falling  off  in  con- 
tributions of  thirty-three  and  a  third  per  cent.  This, 
doubtless,  was  because  there  was  no  general  agent 
in  the  field.  The  Committee  on  General  Agency  say 
that  in  their  opinion  an  "active  and  discreet  agent  is 
indispensable  to  the  future  prosperity,  if  not  to  the 
permanent  existence  of  the  body,"  and  recommend 
that  one  be  put  in  the  field.  Elder  Samuel  Wait  was 
appointed  to  act  as  agent  for  the  Convention  while 
traveling  for  Wake  Forest  Institute.  Three  mis- 
sionaries were  appointed  for  full  time  and  one  for 
six  months. 

Brown's  Church,  Sampson  County,  Novembeb 
3-7,  1838. 

It  should  have  been  stated  in  former  papers,  that 
the  Recorder,  which  was  first  printed  in  Edenton,  was, 
in  1835,  moved  to  New  Bern,  and  in  1837  to  Raleigh. 

The  Female  Seminary  was  considered  again  in 
1838.     The  committee  recommended  that  a  joint 


30  HISTORY  OF  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA 

stock  company  be  organized,  if  possible  to  establish 
a  school  in  Raleigh  with  capacity  for  thirty  pupils. 

In  commenting  upon  the  report  of  K.  McNabb,  one 
of  the  missionaries,  the  Board  says:  "The  Associa- 
tion (the  Chowan)  he  found  beyond  any  other  de- 
voted to  the  objects  of  the  Convention.  Wherever  he 
has  been  he  has  been  kindly  received,  and  finds  a 
general  desire  prevailing,  that  the  number  of  our 
missionaries  should  be  increased."  Mr.  McNabb's  re- 
port shows  that  he  collected  more  than  his  salary. 
This  is  the  first  time  such  a  thing  occurred.  Elder 
Wm.  Hill  Jordan,  Corresponding  Secretary,  in  his 
report,  uses  these  words :  "Brethren,  what  we  do  must 
be  quickly  done.  Death  will  soon  come  and  put  an 
end  to  all  our  schemes  on  earth."  Dr.  Durham  wrote 
on  the  margin,  "It  did  not  end  the  schemes  of  these 
fathers." 

Up  to  this  time  John  Armstrong  had  been  Cor- 
responding Secretary,  but  he  spent  a  year  in  Europe, 
and  Wm.  Hill  Jordan  was  elected  as  Mr.  Armstrong's 
successor. 

Grassy  Creek  Church,  Granville  County, 
November  1-4,  1839. 

It  was  noted  in  the  last  paper  that  the  brethren 
were  somewhat  depressed  in  spirit  concerning  the 
work  of  the  Convention,  owing  to  a  general  apathy  on 
the  part  of  the  Baptists  of  the  State.  That  feeling 
lasted  only  for  a  little  while,  however,  for  at  the 
ninth  session  there  was  a  marked  advance  movement. 


BAPTIST  STATE  CONVENTION. 


31 


They  increased  their  missionary  operations  a  hundred 
per  cent,  making  the  number  ten  instead  of  five.  A 
committee  was  appointed  to  address  a  circular  letter 
to  the  pastors  "laying  before  them  the  importance  of 
more  decided  and  efficient  action  in  behalf  of  the 
Convention,  and  requesting  them  to  present  its  claims 
to  their  congregations  and  take  up  collections  in  favor 
of  its  funds." 

In  the  report  on  General  Agent,  the  committee  says 
of  Home  (State)  Missions:  "Our  cause  is  the  cause 
of  the  patriot."  They  declare  that  State  Missions 
stands  for  law  and  order,  public,  individual  and  party 
interest,  and  purity  of  elections."  Speaking  of  the 
work  done  in  the  State  the  committee  says:  "And 
yet  your  committee  have  found  it  difficult  to  devise 
a  plan  by  which  all  parts  of  the  State  shall  have  an 
equal  amount  of  preaching."  Every  Board  which 
has  met  since  has  been  confronted  by  that  same  diffi- 
culty. 

The  Committee  on  Home  (State)  Missions  recom- 
mended that  one  missionary  be  appointed  to  labor 
wholly  within  the  bounds  of  the  Chowan  Associa- 
tion, "and  half  of  his  time  to  be  spent  on  each  side 
of  the  Chowan  River ;"  that  another  be  placed  within 
the  bounds  of  the  Neuse  and  Tar  River  Associations; 
another  to  supply  the  Goshen  and  Cape  Fear  Associa- 
tions ;  and  that  two  others  occupy  the  remaining  por- 
tion of  the  State.  The  committee,  while  appreciating 
the  need  for  a  greatly  increased  missionary  force,  did 


32  HISTORY  OF  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA 

not  feel  justified  in  recommending  the  appointment  of 
more  than  five.  As  is  shown  above  after  an  en- 
thusiastic discussion  of  the  report,  the  Convention 
decided  to  double  the  number  of  missionaries,  and 
the  report  was  amended  by  making  the  number  ten 
instead  of  five. 

Since  the  last  Convention  the  name  of  Wake  Forest 
Institute  has  been  changed  to  Wake  Forest  College. 

The  Convention  adjourned  to  meet  at  Johnston 
Liberty,  in  Johnston  County,  with  the  understanding 
that  three  consecutive  sessions  would  be  held  at  that 
place.  No  reason  for  this  condition  is  stated,  but  it 
is  likely  that  the  entertainment  was  in  "camp-meet- 
ing" style,  and  they  did  not  want  to  go  to  the  trouble 
of  providing  tents  or  booths  to  be  used  only  one  year. 
Time  of  meeting  changed  from  November  to  October. 

Johnston  Liberty,  Johnston  County,  October 
2-5,  1840. 

Matthew  T.  Yates  was  presented  as  a  candidate  for 
reception  as  a  beneficiary.  Having  passed  a  satis- 
factory examination  he  was  appointed  a  beneficiary 
and  sent  to  Wake  Forest  College. 

Samuel  Wait  had  represented  the  Convention  as 
General  Agent  while  traveling  in  the  interest  of 
Wake  Forest  College.  Dr.  Wait,  in  his  report  to  the 
Board,  says  he  believes  genuine  co-operation  of  the 
churches  could  be  secured  if  they  were  given  correct 
information.  It  was  not  in  his  power  to  devote  the 
whole  of  the  past  year  to  the  business  of  the  agency, 


BAPTIST  STATE  CONVENTION. 


33 


but  in  the  time  he  could  give  it  he  visited  Duplin, 
Bladen,  Columbus,  Brunswick,  New  Hanover,  Wayne, 
Johnston,  Cumberland,  Green,  Pitt,  Edgecombe, 
Nash,  Halifax,  Northampton,  Warren,  Granville, 
Person,  Caswell,  Orange,  Guilford,  Davidson,  Ran- 
dolph, Chatham,  Rowan,  Mecklenburg,  Iredell  and 
Davie.  This  appears  to  be  a  pretty  fair  amount  of 
work  for  part  of  a  year,  considering  the  fact  that  this 
traveling  was  done  by  private  conveyance. 

This  seems  to  have  been  a  rather  tame  Conven- 
tion. Nothing  of  marked  importance  is  recorded,  and 
there  is  an  apparent  lack  of  spirit  and  enthusiasm. 
There  has  been  a  great  falling  off  in  interest  in  re- 
gard to  State  Missions.  It  will  be  recalled  that,  at 
the  meeting  before  this  there  was  great  enthusiasm, 
and  the  Board  was  instructed  to  employ  ten  mis- 
sionaries. The  Board  met  in  J une  following  the  last 
Convention,  and  the  brief  record  in  the  minutes  would 
indicate  that  the  enthusiasm  of  the  Convention  of  '39 
had  largely  died  away.  At  that  meeting  the  Board 
appointed  two  missionaries  to  labor  until  the  meeting 
of  the  Convention.  At  the  Convention  we  are  now 
considering  (1840)  no  recommendation  was  made  as 
to  the  number  of  missionaries.  That  matter  seems  to 
have  been  left  to  the  judgment  of  the  Board.  At  the 
meeting  of  the  Board,  which  was  held  in  Raleigh  in 
November,  1840,  it  was  "Resolved,  That  we  engage 
for  eighteen  months,  missionary  services  during  the 
ensuing  year,  all  of  which  will  be  employed  imme- 
diately preceding  the  session  of  the  Convention." 
3 


34  HISTORY  OF  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA 

It  would  seem  by  this  that  the  brethren  determined 
to  try  the  spasmodic,  high-pressure  method.  This 
one  experiment  appears  to  have  cured  them  effectu- 
ally, for  we  read  nothing  of  this  sort  again  for  many 
years. 

There  was  a  decided  drop  in  contributions  to  all 
the  regular  objects  of  the  Convention.  At  this  session 
the  Treasurer's  report  shows  very  little  more  con- 
tributed than  was  received  by  the  Treasurer  the  first 
year  after  the  organization  of  the  Convention.  This 
would  be  very  discouraging  if  nothing  else  had  been 
done ;  but  it  must  not  be  forgotten  that  Wake  Forest 
was  drawing  on  the  denomination.  This  very  year 
Dr.  Wait  collected  for  Wake  Forest  in  cash  and  good 
subscriptions,  $4,630.56 — four  times  as  much  as  the 
Treasurer  reported  as  contributed  during  any  one 
year  to  the  objects  of  the  Convention.  Wake  Forest 
had  its  own  treasurer,  and  his  figures  do  not  appear 
in  the  minutes,  but  we  know  that  the  first  brick  build- 
ing had  been  erected  at  a  cost  of  $14,000,  and  other 
funds  had  been  collected  for  the  college. 

Johnston  Liberty,  October  15-18,  1841. 

The  American  Baptist  Publication  and  Sunday 
School  Society,  which  has  just  been  founded,  is 
warmly  commended. 

The  Foreign  Mission  tide  is  rising.  W.  H.  J ordan 
made  a  great  speech  on  Foreign  Missions,  after  which 
the  Missionary  hymn,  "From  Greenland's  Icy  Moun- 
tains/' was  sung,  and  W.  H.  Jordan  led  in  prayer 
for  God's  blessings  on  this  department  of  the  work. 


BAPTIST  STATE  CONVENTION. 


35 


Thomas  Meredith  says  he  will  be  forced  to  suspend 
the  publication  of  the  Recorder,  as  it  is  not  being 
supported. 

"Eesolved,  That  we  consider  it  to  the  interest  of 
our  denomination,  that  a  Baptist  religious  periodical 
shall  be  published  in  our  State. 

"Resolved,  That  we  recommend  to  the  Baptists  of 
the  State  to  form  an  organization  to  sustain  a  reli- 
gious periodical." 

The  stock  company  was  not  formed  at  that  time, 
but  the  Convention  adopted  substantially  this  same 
resolution  in  1900,  the  stock  company  was  formed 
in  February,  1901,  and  the  marked  improvement  of 
the  paper  since  that  time  is  a  complete  vindication  of 
the  wisdom  of  the  fathers,  for  we  are  only  carrying 
out  the  plans  which  they  formulated  sixty  years  be- 
fore, as  to  the  management  of  the  paper. 

The  missionaries  for  the  first  time  are  asked  to 
give  verbal  reports  of  their  work.  It  appears  from 
the  record  that  State  Missions  is  in  debt  to  Foreign 
Missions,  due,  perhaps,  to  an  overdraft  in  order  to 
pay  the  missionaries.  This  matter  was  brought  up 
at  the  last  Convention,  as  the  following  resolution 
shows,  though  no  record  of  it  can  be  found  in  the 
minutes  of  1840: 

"Resolved,  That  $200  be  appropriated  from  the 
Home  Mission  to  the  Foreign  Mission  fund,  as 
directed  at  the  last  session  of  the  Convention. 

"Resolved  further,  That  the  balance  of  the  Home 
Mission  fund  be  divided  pro  rata  amongst  the  mis- 


36  HISTORY  OF  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA 


sionaries,  with  the  assurance  that  they  shall  be  paid 
in  full  out  of  the  first  moneys  that  come  to  hand." 

At  the  Convention  following  this,  a  committee  was 
appointed  to  ascertain  why  Home  (State)  Missions 
was  in  in  debt  to  Foreign  Missions.  If  that  com- 
mittee ever  reported,  there  is  no  record  of  it.  The 
sum  of  $150  was  loaned  to  the  Convention,  in  order 
that  they  might  pay  the  missionaries  balance  on  their 
salaries.  This  money  was  loaned  by  individuals  and 
was  promptly  paid  back,  as  the  Treasurer's  report 
to  the  next  Convention  shows. 

In  the  report  on  Home  Missions  we  find  this  ex- 
pression: "We  regard,  therefore,  the  Home  Missions 
as  the  ground-work  and  support  of  all  the  other  ob- 
jects of  benevolent  effort." 

J.  J.  Finch  presented  quite  a  full  and  valuable 
report  on  Foreign  Missions.  He  gives  the  fields  oc- 
cupied, with  the  number  of  missionaries  and  native 
helpers  on  each  field. 

Johnston  Liberty  Church  agreed  to  relinquish  ite 
claim  on  the  Convention,  for  its  next  session  to  be 
held  with  them,  on  the  condition  that  whenever  they 
ask  for  the  Convention  after  1843,  it  will  go  to  them. 

Meherrin  Church,  Hertford  County,  October 
14-18,  1842. 

Alfred  Dockery  being  absent  when  the  Convention 
convened,  T.  Meredith  was  elected  President. 

The  Home  Mission  Society  proposed  to  appro- 
priate $250  to  the  Kaleigh  Church,  to  aid  in  securing 


BAPTIST  STATE  CONVENTION. 


37 


the  services  of  Rev.  Lewis  DuPre.  (This,  by  the  way, 
is  the  first  time  that  the  prefix  "Rev."  occurs  in  the 
minutes).  The  committee  unanimously  accepted  this 
proposition. 

The  Recorder  had  suspended,  and  a  committee  was 
appointed  to  confer  with  Elder  Meredith  up^n  the 
expediency  and  probability  of  publishing  a  weekly 
paper.  Mr.  Meredith  told  them  that  he  expected  to 
resume  the  publication  of  the  Recorder  and  Watch- 
man about  January  1st. 

This  was  a  Foreign  Mission  jubilee  year.  Fifty 
years  ago  William  Carey  went  out  as  a  missionary. 
A  mass-meeting  on  Foreign  Missions  was  arranged 
for  Sunday.  The  committee  on  Religious  Exercises 
were  instructed  to  select  three  speakers  to  make  ad- 
dresses in  connection  with  the  missionary  sermon. 
T.  Meredith  made  the  opening  address,  followed  by 
W.  H.  Jordan,  who  preached  the  sermon,  and  he  was 
followed  by  J.  J.  Finch,  E.  Kingsford  and  S.  Wait. 
Would  a  twentieth  century  congregation  have  lived 
through  it  ? 

At  this  session  the  North  Carolina  Baptist  His- 
torical Society  was  organized. 

Miss  Clara  Tillman  made  a  bequest  of  $100  to 
State  Missions  "to  apply  to  the  religious  instruction 
of  the  people  residing  on  Bay  River,  Craven  County, 
K  C." 

S.  Justice  made  a  bequest  to  Foreign  Missions — 
amount  not  stated. 


38  HISTORY  OF  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA 

Some  sort  of  plan  for  the  "confederation"  of  Wake 
Forest  College  and  Furman  Theological  Institut'on 
was  proposed  by  the  Sonth  Carolina  Convention  and 
unanimously  approved  by  our  Convention.  What  the 
nature  of  this  proposition  was,  the  record  does  Dot 
say. 

The  Committee  on  Statistics  published  list  01  As- 
sociations, when  constituted,  number  of  churches, 
total  membership,  white  and  colored.  A  list  of  the 
Baptist  ministers  in  the  State  was  also  published. 
There  were  at  that  time  (1842)  32,725  Baptists  in 
the  State,  white  and  colored,  and  302  ministers. 
There  were  36  Associations,  ten  of  which  were  anti- 
missionary;  26,235  members  in  Missionary  Associa- 
tion, and  6,490  anti-missionaries. 

There  seems  to  have  been  a  sad  decline  in  State 
Missions.  For  some  cause  the  Board  was  in  debt. 
Only  three  missionaries  were  appointed  for  the  next 
year,  and  they  to  serve  only  four  months  each,  which 
was  equivalent  to  one  missionary  for  a  year.  An  ap- 
peal was  made  to  the  Baptists  of  the  State  in  behalf 
of  the  Church  at  Baleigh,  to  pay  off  a  mortgage 
which  rested  on  the  property. 

Boiling  Springs  Camp  Ground,  October 
13-17,  1843. 

State  Missions  still  lag.  For  two  years  no  agent 
has  been  in  the  field.  At  a  meeting  of  the  Board, 
which  was  held  after  the  last  Convention,  Elder  "N. 
A.  Purefoy  was  elected  agent,  but  he  served  only  part 
of  a  year.    At  this  session  Mr.  Purefoy  was  elected 


BAPTIST  STATE  CONVENTION. 


39 


agent  for  the  ensuing  year  at  a  salary  of  $300.  The 
three  missionaries  who  labored  four  months  each,  re- 
ported great  meetings,  many  conversions  and  ripe 
harvests.  Opposition  is  dying  away,  and  the  mis- 
sionaries were  warmly  welcomed  wherever  they  went. 
The  Board  reports  the  opportunities  greater  than 
ever,  and  would  recommend  the  appointment  of  a 
larger  number  of  missionaries  than  had  ever  been  em- 
ployed, if  the  fund  at  their  disposal  justified  it.  As 
it  is,  they  recommend  that  only  two  missionaries  be 
appointed  for  four  months  each.  This  is  a  retrench- 
ment of  thirty-three  and  a  third  per  cent.  Two 
supervisory  committees  were  appointed,  one  for  the 
East,  the  other  for  the  West.  These  committees  were 
composed  of  three  members  each,  and  they  were  to 
"superintend  missionary  labor."  Their  duties  seem 
to  have  been  about  the  same  as  those  of  Associational 
Executive  Committees,  though  their  fields  were  much 
larger. 

Elder  James  S.  Purefoy  is  Treasurer  of  the  Con- 
vention.  His  reports  are  very  clear  and  business-like. 

The  minutes  of  this  session  show,  unmistakably,  a 
painful  indifference  on  the  part  of  the  Baptists  of  the 
State  in  regard  to  the  work  of  the  Convention.  The 
agent,  in  his  report,  sums  up  the  situation  in  this 
short  sentence :  "There  appears  to  be  but  little  opposi- 
tion to  the  objects  of  the  Convention,  and  but  little 
in  favor  of  them." 


40 


HISTORY  OF  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA 


Raleigh,  October  18-23,  1844. 
Thomas  Meredith  had  been  President  for  the  past 
two  sessions.    Alfred  Dockery  is  elected  President 
again. 

J.  C.  Furman,  J.  B.  J eter,  Elias  Dodson,  and  J.  L. 
Pritchard  are  present  for  the  first  time. 

In  the  report  on  education,  Wake  Forest  College, 
Furman  Theological  Institution  and  Milton  Female 
Seminary  are  endorsed  and  recommended.  The  latter 
to  open  January  next  under  the  supervision  of  Rev, 
E.  W.  West. 

A  committee  is  appointed  to  confer  with  the  West- 
ern brethren  as  to  the  best  means  of  co-operating  with 
the  Convention.  State  Missions  is  gaining  some. 
Four  missionaries  are  appointed  for  next  year. 

The  following  important  recommendations  were 
made  by  the  Committee  on  Sunday  Schools:  "Your 
committee  would  also  recommend  that  the  editor  of 
the  Biblical  Recorder  be  requested  to  establish  in  his 
excellent  paper,  a  special  department  for  Sabbath 
Schools.  The  following  resolutions  are  also  presented : 

"Resolved,  That  the  importance  of  the  moral  ard 
religious  instruction  of  the  rising  generation  has  not 
been  duly  appreciated. 

"Resolved,  That  pastors  and  churches  be  affection- 
ately urged  to  make  more  vigorous  efforts  to  organize 
and  sustain  Sabbath  Schools." 

Elder  John  Armstrong  has  passed  away  since  the 
last  meeting  of  the  Convention.    He  attended  every 


BAPTIST  STATE  CONVENTION. 


41 


session  of  the  Convention  from  its  organization  until 
the  meeting  in  1838.  That  year  he  spent  in  Europe, 
taking  a  special  course  of  study.  At  the  Convention 
of  1839  he  preached  the  introductory  sermon,  and 
left  very  soon  afterward  for  Columbus,  Mississippi, 
at  which  place  he  died  in  1844.  Dr.  Hufham  informs 
me  that  he  went  to  Columbus  to  become  professor  in 
the  University  of  Mississippi,  to  which  position  he 
was  elected  soon  after  his  return  from  Europe.  The 
following  beautiful  tribute  was  written  by  his  life- 
long friend,  James  McDaniel :  "He  was  prominent 
in  the  little  band  that  originated  the  Convention  and 
subsequently  the  college,  and  bore  a  distinguished 
part  in  carrying  them  forward.  Eor  a  time  he  filled 
the  chair  of  Ancient  Languages  in  the  college.  He 
was  the  refined  gentleman,  the  accomplished  scholar, 
the  profound  theologian,  the  powerful  preacher,  tb- 
eminent  Christian.  His  piety  was  of  pure  and  ele- 
vated character.  But  few  have  passed  a  career  of 
greater  usefulness  and  distinction,  or  have  closed  it 
more  generally  lamented." 

Raleigh,  October  17-21,  1845. 

The  Southern  Baptist  Convention  was  organize! 
four  months  before  this. 

"Resolved,  That  the  Convention  cor^^lly^app rovv 
the  f ormjriwnj^^  Convention 
and  the  appointment  of  a  Foreign  Mission  Board  at 
Richmond,  Va.^^and _Home__ Mission,  ..Board  . at 
Marion,  Alabama,  jand  that  we  recommend  the 
churches  to  contribute  liberally  to  these  funds." 


42 


HISTORY  OF  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA 


A  resolution  was  passed  approving  the  formation 
of  the  Western  Convention.  This  Convention  was 
organized  at  Boiling  Springs  Camp  Ground,  Hender- 
son County,  August  30,  1845. 

A  resolution  was  passed  urging  the  importance  of 
establishing  schools,  "both  male  and  female,  under 
the  patronage  of  the  Baptist  denomination." 

The  Board  sees  that  a  mistake  has  been  made  in 
neglecting  the  towns.  "One  fact  has  surprised  the 
mind  of  every  observing  man  who  has  noticed  our 
operations  for  years  past.  It  is  the  culpable  neglect 
we  have  been  guilty  of  in  not  providing  our  towns 
and  county-seats  with  means  of  the  Gospel." 

Raleigh,  October  15-20,  1846. 
It  will  be  observed  that  the  Convention  was  held 
in  Raleigh  three  years  in  succession.  No  reason  for 
this  is  given  in  the  records,  but  two  probable  explana- 
tions have  been  suggested  to  the  writer.  One  is  that 
the  Baptists  were  not  strong  enough  in  any  other 
community  at  that  time  to  entertain  the  Convention, 
and  the  other  is  that  Raleigh  was  the  most  accessible 
point  in  the  State  because  of  railroad  and  stage-coach 
lines.  The  latter  impresses  me  as  the  more  probable 
explanation. 

Thomas  Meredith  was  elected  President  at  this 
session. 

The  Constitution  was  amended  so  as  to  provide  for 
three  boards — athe  Home  (State)  Mission  Board, 
located  at  Raleigh;  the  Foreign  Mission  Board, 


BAPTIST  STATE  CONVENTION. 


43 


located  at  Yanceyville ;  and  the  Board  of  Education, 
located  at  Wake  Forest  College." 

Foreign  Missions  is  the  keynote  of  this  Conven- 
tion. Matthew  T.  Yates  had  been  appointed  mis- 
sionary to  China,  and  the  Raleigh  Association  as- 
sumed his  support.  Yates  was  ordained  Sunday 
night.  T.  Meredith  preached  the  sermon  from  II 
Tim.,  4:2  :  "Preach  the  word ;  be  instant  in  season, 
out  of  season;  reprove,  rebuke,  exhort  with  all  long 
suffering  and  doctrine."  The  charge  was  delivered 
by  J.  B.  Taylor,  the  Bible  presented  by  R.  Furman, 
and  the  right-hand  of  fellowship  extended  by  S. 
Wait. 

After  the  ordination,  twenty  individuals  gave  five 
dollars  each  to  go  to  the  support  of  Mr.  Yates,  and 
others  added  smaller  amounts,  making  the  total  a 
hundred  and  thirty  dollars. 

The  minutes  of  this  session  contain  by  far  the  most 
able  and  exhaustive  report  of  the  Board  yet  sub- 
mitted. It  covers  twelve  pages  in  the  minutes,  and 
is  a  brief  review  of  the  sixteen  years  of  the  Conven- 
tion's life.  During  these  sixteen  years  Wake  Forest 
College  has  been  established  and  several  ministers 
educated,  among  them  a  missionary  to  China.  A  de- 
nominational paper  had  been  published,  "which  has 
done  more,  perhaps,  than  any  single  instrumentality 
to  disseminate  correct  sentiments  among  our  people." 
The  Convention  "has  sent  the  Gospel  to  many  desti- 
tute sections,  established  many  new  churches,  strength 
ened  many  feeble  ones,  and  turned  multitudes  of 


44  HISTORY  OE  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA 

sinners  into  the  way  of  life."  Yet  some  had  grown 
impatient  and  become  lukewarm.  "They  expected 
the  Board  in  a  few  years  would  succeed  in  filling 
every  pulpit  and  supplying  every  community  with 
an  intelligent  minister.  Many  have  not  the  patience 
to  wait  the  slow  operations  of  Providence  in  develop- 
ing great  works." 

The  importance  of  the  agency  was  emphasized  It 
was  difficult  to  get  a  man  with  all  the  necessary 
qualifications.  "There  is  no  part  in  our  operations 
of  greater  importance  than  the  agency;  it  is  the 
fly-wheel  of  all  our  machinery.  *  *  *  Under  pres- 
ent circumstances  an  effective  agency  is  indispensable 
to  the  success  of  our  plans."  "We  think  the  propei 
course  is  to  direct  our  attention  exclusively  to  desti- 
tute sections  and  feeble  churches.  As  the  destitution 
is  beyond  the  present  means  of  supply,  we  think  the 
true  policy  is  to  cultivate,  thoroughly,  the  most  needy 
important  fields  first.  Special  attention  ought  first 
to  be  given  to  the  towns,  and  then  the  most  suitable 
places  in  the  country."  Edenton,  Windsor,  Greens- 
boro, and  Salisbury  are  named  as  important  points. 
State  rather  than  Associational  Missions,  the  Board 
considers  the  true  policy.  "The  Board  are  of  the 
opinion  that  it  is  best  for  the  churches  to  be  made 
auxiliaries  to  the  Convention  as  far  as  possible.  It 
may  be  necessary  sometimes  to  adopt  other  modes  of 
operation;  but  we  are  decidedly  of  opinion  that  this 
is  the  best  plan  as  a  general  thing.  It  will  save  time 
and  trouble.    It  certainly  is  as  convenient  to  send 


BAPTIST  STATE  CONVENTION. 


45 


funds  that  may  be  raised  by  a  church  to  the  Treasurer 
of  the  Convention  as  it  is  to  send  them  to  some  other 
organization,  to  be  forwarded  by  them  to  the  Conven- 
tion. And  when  the  Convention  is  placed  so  far  in 
the  distance,  and  has  to  be  reached  through  interven- 
ing organizations,  its  claims  will  not  be  seen  so  clearly 
nor  met  so  promptly  as  when  they  are  laid  directly 
before  every  church."  This  is  a  magnificent  report 
Nothing  like  it  has  appeared  in  the  minutes  since  the 
great  address  of  Meredith,  which  was  published  in  the 
minutes  just  after  the  organization  of  the  Conven- 
tion. The  report  was  written,  no  doubt,  by  J.  J. 
Finch,  who  was  Recording  and  Corresponding  Secre- 
tary that  year. 

Elder  Mark  Bennett  labored  as  a  missionary  in  the 
Kehukee  Association.  This  was  an  anti-Missionary 
Association.  His  report  shows  that  the  field  was  a 
hard  one  and  he  was  somewhat  discouraged.  Hear 
him:  aThe  professing  community  of  all  denomina- 
tions exhibits  generally  a  mournful  state  of  .declen- 
sion. Many  of  the  preachers  possess  scarcely  a  single 
qualification  of  a  bishop,  especially  of  the  anti  order, 
and  many  churches  tolerate  dram-drinking  to  that 
excess  that  half  the  number  of  white  male  members 
are  given  daily  to  intoxication."  The  opposition  of 
the  anti-missionaries  is  so  great  that  he  hardly  knows 
what  to  recommend,  but  is  convinced  that  it  is  un- 
necessary for  him  to  labor  among  them  any  more. 

The  Treasurer  reports  $1,938.86  for  missions  and 
education.  This  is  nearly  twice  as  much  as  had  been 
reported  for  any  previous  year. 


46 


HISTORY  OF  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA 


CHAPTEE  III. 
1847—1860. 


Friendship  Church,  Cumberland  County,  Octo- 
ber 14-18,  1847. 

T.  Meredith  declined  re-election  as  President  and 
Alfred  Dockery  was  elected. 

Three  Boards  were  appointed  last  year,  but  the  plan 
did  not  work  well  and  the  Boards  were,  at  this  session, 
consolidated  under  the  old  name,  "Board  of  Mana- 
gers." The  Convention  was  in  debt  to  its  missionaries 
and  the  Treasurer  was  authorized  to  borrow  money 
and  pay  them  the  balance  due.  The  reports  from  the 
missionaries  were  encouraging.  John  Robertson,  who 
had  labored  in  Stokes,  Wilkes,  Guilford,  Rockingham 
and  Surry,  reported  one  hundred  persons  baptized  and 
thirty  or  forty  awaiting  baptism.  Mark  May,  whose 
field  was  in  the  Yadkin,  reported  one  hundred  and 
forty  baptisms.  P.  I.  Devin  reported  large  accessions 
in  the  East  River  Association,  and  E.  Dodson  in  the 
Beulah.  Samuel  Wait,  who  preached  at  Louisburg 
last  year,  reports  that  the  house  of  worship,  which  was 
a  mere  shell,  is  undergoing  repairs,  and,  on  the 
whole,  he  finds  much  more  to  encourage  him  than  he 
expected  at  the  beginning  of  the  year.  J.  J.  James 
preached  once  a  month  at  Greensboro,  for  which  he 
received  $50  from  the  Board.  "A  Sabbath  School 
has  been  established  and  the  prospect  of  organizing  a 
church  is  quite  encouraging."    The  importance  of 


BAPTIST  STATE  CONVENTION. 


47 


doing  a  more  permanent  work  has  evidently  gotten 
hold  of  the  minds  of  the  brethren.  While  they  do 
some  evangelistic  work,  we  shall  see  that  more  and 
more  they  are  concentrating  their  efforts  on  certam 
important  points. 

J.  J.  James  was  appointed  agent  for  Foreign  Mis- 
sions by  the  Foreign  Mission  Board  at  Richmond, 
but  this  must  have  created  some  friction,  for  at  the 
next  Convention  Mr.  James  introduced  a  resolution 
requesting  the  Board  at  Richmond  not  to  appoint  a 
special  agent  for  North  Carolina  without  the  consent 
of  our  Convention  or  Board  of  Managers. 

The  following  brethren  were  appointed  the  first 
trustees  of  the  Convention:  Thos.  Settle,  Alfred 
Dockery,  Chas.  W.  Skinner,  Calvin  Graves,  John 
Kerr,  David  S.  Williams,  Dr.  GL  C.  Moore, 

J.  J.  Finch,  of  Raleigh,  "made  a  statement  to  the 
Convention  relative  to  Sedgwick  Female  Seminary 
in  that  city."  The  Convention  passed  resolutions  en- 
dorsing the  enterprise. 

Rockfoed,  Surry  County,  October  12-16,  1848. 

Alfred  Dockery  again  elected  President,  making 
the  time  he  served  as  President,  twelve  years  in  all. 

A  resolution  was  passed  requesting  the  churches  to 
observe  the  first  day  in  January  as  a  day  of  fasting 
and  prayer  for  a  revival  in  the  State  and  throughout 
the  world.  The  missionaries  who  did  evangelistic 
work  in  several  Associations  reported  a  number  of 
baptisms,  though  not  so  many  as  the  year  before. 
Elder  Dodson  says :  "As  I  passed  through  the  State  I 


48 


HISTORY  OF  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA 


did  everything  I  could  for  the  press  because  my  ex- 
perience for  the  last  ten  years  has  taught  me  that 
where  there  was  an  indifference  to  the  press,  there  was 
generally  an  indifference  to  all  other  important  ob- 
jects, or  less  interest  manifested  in  them  all." 

Elder  James  reports  that  there  are  fifteen  members 
in  the  town  of  Greensboro  who  are  formed  into  an 
arm  of  the  Madison  Church.  They  expect  to  procure 
a  comfortable  house  of  worship  soon.  He  adds  that 
"Greensboro  is  a  flourishing  town  of  2,000  inhabi- 
tants and,  as  a  missionary  station,  promises  as  much 
as  any  other  in  the  State." 

The  Convention  is  now  beginning  to  reap  some  of 
the  fruit  of  its  contributions  to  ministerial  education. 
Matthew  T.  Yates,  a  beneficiary  of  the  Board,  had  a 
little  while  before  this  sailed  to  China,  and  Win. 
Jones,  who  was  the  first  beneficiary  of  the  Board,  was 
at  this  Convention  (1848)  elected  agent,  in  which 
position  he  was  held  for  a  nuniber  of  years.  Four 
months  after  the  meeting  of  the  last  Convention,  he 
was  elected  by  the  Board,  and  served  eight  months. 
The  coming  of  Wm.  Jones  into  this  office  gave  a  new 
impulse  to  all  our  denominational  work.  He  was 
able,  resourceful  and  energetic,  and  peculiarly  fitted 
for  the  work  of  the  agency. 

Oxford,  Granville  County,  October  18-22,  1849. 

James  McDaniel  was  elected  President  at  this  ses- 
sion, and  served  continuously  until  18  67,  a  term  of 
eighteen  years.  No  other  President  of  the  Convention 
has  ever  served  so  long. 


BAPTIST  STATE  CONVENTION. 


49 


The  first  account  of  any  marked  division  of  senti- 
ment is  interesting.  The  report  of  the  Board  of 
managers  was  under  discussion.  aProf.  White  moved 
to  strike  out  that  portion  of  the  same  which  related 
to  the  establishment  of  a  Female  College,  which 
motion  provoked  some  discussion;  the  report,  as  it 
stood,  being  advocated  by  Messrs.  Palmer,  James, 
McDowell,  and  Purefoy,  and  opposed  by  Messrs. 
White,  Meredith,  Finch,  and  Trotman.  The  motion 
was  lost,  and  the  report  accepted  and  ordered  to  be 
published  with  the  minutes.7'  Turning  to  the  report 
of  the  Board,  we  find  the  clause  which  caused  the  dis- 
cussion. "Female  schools  of  a  high  character  have 
been  established  and  are  now  in  successful  operation 
at  Murfreesboro,  Raleigh,  Oxford  and  other  places. 
The  necessity  of  establishing  a  Female  College  for  the 
State,  of  an  elevated  character,  in  which  suitable 
testimonials  of  a  high  grade  of  scholarship  will  be 
awarded,  is  serious\^entertained  by  many  of  our 
brethren,  and  is  an  object  worthy  of  their  united  and 
zealous  efforts  for  its  establishment."  It  was  the  last 
clause  of  this  paragraph  which  Prof.  White  (Presi- 
dent of  Wake  Forest)  proposed  to  strike  out. 

If  this  suggestion  had  been  carried  out  we  would 
have  had,  just  fifty  years  earlier,  the  Baptist  Univer- 
sity for  Women.  In  1835  a  report  was  submitted 
recommending  the  establishment  of  a  Seminary  in 
Raleigh.  The  school  then  spoken  of,  was  in  operation 
at  this  time,  as  we  see  from  this  very  report ;  but  the 

4 


50  HISTORY  OF  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA 

suggestion  here  is  for  a  school  of  "elevated  character/' 
with  "a  high  grade  of  scholarship.'7  Note  that  this 
recommendation  was  made  by  the  Board  of  Managers, 
which  corresponds  to  our  Board  of  Missions.  Our 
fathers  believed  that  between  Mission  work  and  Chris- 
tian education,  there  is  the  closest  possible  relation. 
The  report  was  written,  no  doubt,  by  W.  J.  Palmer, 
who  signs  it  as  secretary. 

There  was  a  great  Foreign  Mission  mass-meeting 
Sunday  night ;  Kev.  J.  T.  Owen,  an  appointee  of  the 
Foreign  Mission  Board,  was  present.  He  related  his 
call  to  the  foreign  field,  and  gave  a  description  of  the 
field  to  which  he  was  going.  "His  appearance  and 
earnestness  of  manner  enlisted  a  strong  feeling  of 
sympathy  in  his  behalf  and  deep  interest  in  the  suc- 
cess of  his  mission."  At  the  conclusion  of  the  exer- 
cises, Mr.  Owen  stood  on  the  platform  and  the  con- 
gregation passed  forward  to  give  him  the  parting 
hand. 

A.  M.  Poindexter  was  present,  representing  the 
American  Baptist  Publication  Society. 

W.  T.  Walters  was  appointed  missionary  to  Salis- 
bury, Mocksville,  Charlotte  and  Statesville.  The 
Board  appointed  eleven  missionaries.  The  Raleigh 
Church  applied  for  aid,  but  application  was  denied 
for  want  of  funds.  An  application  from  the  Tar 
River  Church  was  also  declined,  because  of  more 
pressing  needs  elsewhere. 

The  constitution  was  so  amended  as  to  make  any 
person  who  contributed  as  much  as  $30  at  one  time 


BAPTIST  STATE  CONVENTION. 


51 


to  its  funds,  a  life  member  of  the  Convention,  pro- 
vided he  continued  a  member  in  good  standing  in 
the  Baptist  church  to  which  he  belongs. 

Louisbueg,  October  17-21,  1850. 

Elder  J.  J.  James  offered  the  following  resolution, 
which  was  adopted  unanimously : 

"Wheras,  It  is  in  contemplation  to  establish  a 
Female  Seminary  of  high  character  in  the  town  of 
Oxford,  in  this  State,  to  be  under  the  control  of  the 
Baptist  denomination ;  and, 

"Whereas,  such  a  measure  is  deemed  highly  im- 
portant to  our  denominational  interest,  and  to  female 
education  in  general;  therefore, 

"Resolved,  That  this  Convention  concur  in  the 
propriety  of  establishing  such  an  institution,  and 
agree  to  give  way  at  a  suitable  hour,  for  a  public 
meeting  to  be  held  for  the  promotion  of  that  enter- 
prise." 

The  churches  of  the  State  are  urged  to  establish 
schools  for  the  oral  instruction  of  the  colored  people. 

The  Board  appropriated  $100  to  aid  the  Church 
in  Raleigh,  and  asked  the  Home  Board  for  $200. 
Rev.  Thomas  W.  Tobey,  of  Virginia,  a  returned  mis- 
sionary, had  accepted  a  call  to  become  pastor  of  the 
church. 

The  report  on  obituaries  records  the  death  of  Rev. 
J.  J.  Finch,  one  of  the  giants  of  those  early  days. 
Rev.  W.  H.  Merritt,  who  had  not  attended  the  Con- 
vention for  several  years,  because  of  feeble  health,  but 


52  HISTORY  OF  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA 

who  was  deeply  interested  in  the  Convention  and  its 
work,  as  is  shown  by  the  fact  that  he  bequeathed 
$2,000  to  ministerial  education,  and  General  Bar- 
zillai  Graves,  Chairman  of  the  Board  of  Managers, 
and  an  honored  and  useful  layman,  have  both  died 
since  last  Convention. 

The  Treasurer's  report  shows  total  contributions, 
$3,  343.81,  an  increase  of  more  than  75  per  cent  over 
last  year.    Wm.  Jones  is  an  active  agent. 

Wilmington,  October  16-20,  1851. 

State  Missions  and  the  Recorder  occupy  the  time 
and  attention  of  this  Convention  in  a  large  measure. 
The  report  of  the  Board  of  Managers  is  interesting. 
Fourteen  missionaries  were  employed  last  year,  who 
received  their  salaries  in  part  or  in  whole  from  the 
Associations  in  which  they  labored.  Besides  these  a 
few  missionaries  were  placed  at  important  points  and 
sustained  by  the  Board.  It  seems  to  have  been  a 
fruitful  year,  and  yet  the  Board  is  somewhat  dis- 
couraged and  recommends  retrenchment.  They  com- 
plain that  appeals  to  the  pastors  have  evoked  but  little 
response.  They  recommend  the  discontinuance  of 
a  general  agent.  "The  reports  of  Elder  William 
Jones,  the  agent  of  the  Convention,  show  a  falling 
off  in  the  amounts  of  his  receipts  and  subscriptions  in 
behalf  of  the  committee."  They  find  no  evidence  of 
less  effort  on  the  part  of  the  agent,  but  attribute  it  to 
a  desire  of  the  churches  and  Associations  to  send  up 
their  own  funds  through  their  delegates.  Turning 


BAPTIST  STATE  CONVENTION. 


53 


from  the  report  of  the  Board  to  that  of  the  Treas- 
urer, we  find  that  more  money  had  been  received  this 
year  than  during  any  previous  year.  The  total  con- 
tributions for  the  objects  of  the  Convention  amount 
to  $4,332.82.  The  Board  made  the  mistake  of  mea- 
suring the  success  of  the  agent  by  the  amount  of 
money  that  passed  through  his  hands,  forgetting  that 
his  canvass  had  much  to  do  with  increasing  the  spirit 
of  benevolence  among  the  people.  For  this  reason 
they  recommend  that  the  best  agent  the  Convention 
had  ever  had  up  to  that  time,  be  dismissed.  The  Con- 
vention, however,  refused  to  adopted  this  recommen- 
dation of  the  Board  and  re-elected  William  Jones  as 
agent. 

In  speaking  of  the  old  Chowan  Association,  the 
mother  of  the  Convention,  Mr.  Jones  says :  "This  body 
takes  the  lead  in  benevolent  operations,  besides  sup- 
plying their  own  destitution,  and  making  arrange- 
ments to  sustain  a  missionary  in  China,  they  continue 
to  enlarge  their  bounty  for  the  objects  of  the  Con- 
vention." 

Since  the  last  Convention  Thomas  Meredith  has 
died.  Elder  Thomas  W.  Tobey,  pastor  of  the  Church 
in  Kaleigh,  was  asked  to  edit  the  Recorder  until  the 
meeting  of  the  Convention.  This  he  did  very  accepta- 
bly. A  committee  was  appointed,  presumably  at  the 
request  of  Mrs.  Meredith,  to  suggest  an  editor  for  the 
Recorder.  The  committee,  of  which  William  Hooper 
was  chairman,  recommended  that  Elder  Tobey  be 
continued  as  editor,  the  compensation  for  his  services 


54 


HISTORY  OF  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA 


to  be  agreed  on  by  him  and  the  proprietors.  This 
shows  the  close  relation  which  has  always  existed  be- 
tween the  Convention  and  its  organ.  Elder  James 
McDaniel,  of  Wilmington,  and  C.  R.  Hendrickson,  of 
Elizabeth  City,  each  of  whom  had  been  engaged  in  the 
publication  of  Baptist  newspapers,  relinquished  their 
publications  and,  so  far  as  they  could,  transferred  the 
lists  of  subscribers  to  the  Recorder. 

Elder  Samuel  Wait  writes  a  letter  to  this  Conven- 
tion, notifying  them  of  the  opening  of  Oxford  Eemale 
Seminary.  The  Chowan  Institute  had  begun  its  use- 
ful career  before  this. 

The  report  on  obituaries,  written  by  A.  Paul  Repi- 
ton,  records  the  death  of  "Rev.  Thomas  Meredith, 
Rev.  Geo.  M.  Thompson,  Rev.  Stephen  Grey  and 
Deacon  Lewis  Bond." 

"Resolved,  That  this  Convention  recommend  to 
the  Baptists  in  the  State  to  unite  in  the  erection  of  a 
house  in  Shanghai,  to  be  called  the  North  Carolina 
Baptist  Mission  House. "  This  was  a  home  for  Dr. 
Yates. 

Smithfield,  Johnston  County,  October  14-18, 
1852. 

|  Education  seems  to  be  the  keynote  of  this  Con- 
*  vention.  The  first  thousand  dollars  is  given  for  an 
endowment  of  Wake  Forest  College.  This  was  given 
by  ten  men  in  subscriptions  of  $100  each,  and 
was  in  response  to  a  proposition  by  Eli  as  Dodson 
to  raise  $15,000  in  $100  subscriptions.    The  names 


BAPTIST  STATE  CONVENTION. 


55 


of  the  ten  brethren  who  gave  this  first  $1,000  are 
not  recorded. 

Chowan  Institute  and  Oxford  Seminary  are  highly 
commended. 

"Resolved,  That  each  Association  be  and  is  hereby 
respectfully  requested  to  establish  preparatory  schools 
to  Wake  Forest  College,  and  report  the  same  to  this 
Convention." 

High  ground  is  taken  on  Foreign  Missions,  at  a 
mass-meeting  Sunday  night.  Enthusiastic  and  in- 
spiring speeches  were  made,  and  the  following  resolu- 
tion was  unanimously  adopted : 

"Resolved,  That  we  will  not  suffer  any  apparent 
want  of  success  in  our  (State)  Missions  to  diminish 
our  zeal  or  cause  us  to  slacken  our  efforts  to  benefit 
the  unhappy  and  benighted  heathen." 

William  Jones,  the  General  Agent,  has  died  since 
last  Convention.  He  did  more  to  stimulate  the  be- 
nevolence of  the  churches  than  any  other  man.  He 
inaugurated  the  "Life  Membership"  plan,  and  intro- 
duced a  better  financial  system.  As  general  agent  he 
did  a  great  work.  The  Board  seems  almost  to  have 
gone  daft  on  the  subject  of  destroying  the  agency.  In 
this  report  they  suggest  that  no  agent  be  employed. 
They  say  that  Virginia  had  abolished  the  agency  and 
was  getting  on  well  without  it.  We  know,  however, 
that  Virginia  has  come  back  to  the  North  Carolina 
plan,  and  came  to  North  Carolina  to  get  her  first 
agent,  or  "Field  Secretary/'  as  they  designated  him. 
The  Convention  did  not  adopt  this  recommendation, 


56 


HISTORY  OF  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA 


but  intrusted  the  Board  to  employ  an  agent  as  soon 
as  a  suitable  man  could  be  found.  The  Treasurer's 
report  last  year  showed  a  total  contribution  of 
$4,333.82,  while  this  year  it  is  only  $2,661.11,  a 
difference  of  $1,672.71.  It  must  not  be  forgotten 
that  the  general  agent  had  died,  and  that  for  most 
of  the  year  the  Convention  was  without  an  agent. 
This,  doubtless,  accounts  for  the  falling  off  in  con- 
tributions. Yet  in  the  face  of  these  figures,  the 
Board  desires  to  dispense  with  the  agency. 

Rev.  J.  J.  James  introduced  the  following  resolu- 
tion, which  was  adopted : 

"In  view  of  the  demoralizing  influence  of  circus 
exhibitions  throughout  the  State, 

"Reatolved,  That  a  committee  be  appointed  to 
memoralize  the  Legislature  of  North  Carolina  on  the 
subject  of  putting  down  the  evil  in  that  way,  which, 
to  them,  may  seem  best." 

The  Recorder  is  still  edited  by  Rev.  T.  W.  Tobey, 
and  is  constantly  referred  to  as  the  "Organ  of  the 
Convention." 

New  Bern,  October  13-17,  1853. 
Elder  John  H.  Lacy,  who  had  been  for  several 
years  Corresponding  Secretary  of  the  Convention, 
was  appointed  a  missionary  to  Africa,  and  sailed 
since  the  last  session  of  the  Convention.  A  collection 
was  taken  on  Sunday  morning  for  Foreign  Missions 
amounting  to  $151,  and  at  night  at  the  close  of  a 
mass-meeting,  held  in  the  interest  of  Home  Missions 


BAPTIST  STATE  CONVENTION. 


57 


and  education,  another  collection  of  $162  was  taken. 
It  is  noticeable  that  the  collections  taken  on  Sunday 
in  this  period  of  the  Convention's  life,  are  out  of 
proportion  to  the  amount  raised  during  the  year, 
when  compared  with  the  financial  reports  of  our  day. 

Mrs.  Meredith  requested  that  the  Convention  ap- 
point an  editor  for  the  Recorder.  The  committee 
named  Rev.  J.  J.  James.  This  recommendation  was 
adopted  and  Mr.  James  entered  upon  his  duties  as 
editor. 

In  their  report  the  Board  states  that  Rev.  S.  J. 
Yarborough  had  been  secured  as  agent.  He  was  not 
employed  till  three  months  before  the  meeting  of  the 
Convention.  He  was  elected  by  the  committee  for* 
next  year.  The  Board  further  declare  that  if  they 
could  find  suitable  men  and  had  the  means  to  sup- 
port them,  they  might  employ  thirty  missionaries  and 
all  the  destitution  in  North  Carolina  would  not  be 
supplied. 

The  name  of  Rev.  W.  M.  Wingate  appears  for  the 
first  time. 

Fayettevii/le,  October  12-16,  1854. 

The  subject  of  education  received  special  consid- 
eration at  this  Convention.  Saturday  night  a  great 
educational  mass-meeting  was  held.  A  collection  was 
taken  up  at  the  close  of  this  meeting  amounting  to 
$140.66.  The  report  on  education  states  that  Wake 
Forest  has  an  endowment  fund  of  $43,00U,  and  be- 
quests to  ministerial  education  amounting  to  more 


58  HISTORY  OF  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA 

than  $10,000.  Resolution  is  passed  expressing  grati- 
tude at  the  news  that  an  assoeiational  school  has  been 
established  at  Taylorsville. 

Friday  night  a  mass-meeting  was  held  in  the  in- 
terest of  Home  Missions,  and  a  collection  of  $151.50 
was  taken.  Bear  in  mind  that  during  all  this  period 
Home  Missions  means  State  Missions.  Committee 
on  New  Fields  recommend  that  Goldsboro,  Charlotte, 
Carthage,  Lumberton  and  Washington  be  occupied, 
in  addition  to  the  towns  now  supplied  by  the  Board, 
viz:  Greensboro,  Salisbury  and  Wadesboro.  All 
these  places  now  have  strong  churches  save  Wash- 
ington, which  is  still  aided  by  the  Board. 

A  church  extension  society  was  organized.  Its 
object  was  to  aid  weak  points  in  building  houses  of 
worship.  Funds  are  to  be  raised  and  loaned  to  needy 
points,  provided  said  places  raise  an  equal  amount. 
It  was  recommended  that  steps  be  taken  to  raise  $100 
to  be  loaned  to  Salisbury,  provided  they  comply  with 
the  conditions  on  which  loans  are  to  be  made. 

A  resolution  was  passed  looking  to  closer  co-opera- 
tion with  the  Associations.  At  almost  every  meeting 
for  several  years  past,  a  similar  resolution  has  been 
adopted. 

From  the  report  on  Periodicals  we  learn  that  Mrs. 
Meredith  had  "moved  to  the  Southwest,"  and  had 
sold  five-sixths  of  the  Recorder  stock  to  brethren  in 
Raleigh.    James  was  employed  to  edit  the  paper. 

The  brethren  saw  the  importance  of  preserving  the 


BAPTIST  STATE  CONVENTION". 


59 


history  of  the  Convention,  as  the  following  resolution 
shows : 

"Whereas,  We  understand  that  our  brother,  Dr. 
S.  J.  Wheeler,  of  Murfreesboro,  has  it  in  contempla- 
tion to  publish  a  history  of  the  Convention,  to  be 
compiled  from  the  minutes  of  the  body  from  its 
formation  to  the  present  time;  therefore, 

"Resolved,  That  we  highly  approve  the  enter- 
prise, and  most  heartily  commend  it  to  the  patronage 
of  our  churches  and  brethren  throughout  the  State." 

If  this  nistory  was  ever  published,  there  is  no  rec- 
ord of  it. 

Waekenton,  November  7-12,  1855. 

Home  (State)  Missions  received  special  considera- 
tion at  this  Convention.  On  "New  Fields"  Elder 
Dodson  says:  "We  have  neglected  towns,  though 
we  have  done  a  great  deal  in  the  country.  We  lose 
much  by  neglecting  towns  and  villages.  People  are 
more  liberal  in  the  support  of  ministers  in  towns 
than  in  the  country.  A  man  worth  two  or  three 
thousand  dollars  in  a  town,  frequently  gives  more 
than  another  in  the  country  who  is  worth  $100,000. 
In  a  certain  city  a  poor  man  who  had  a  salary  of 
$400,  and  a  family  to  support,  gave  his  pastor  $100. 
Where  can  we  find  such  liberality  in  the  country  V 

From  the  report  of  the  Board  we  get  the  following 
items  of  interest  : 

Robert  B.  Jones  had  preached  two  Sundays  each 
month  in  Charlotte.    Church  organized  and  contract 


60 


HISTORY  OF  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA 


let  for  house  of  worship.  A.  B.  Blackwell  once  a 
month  at  Wadesboro.  J.  J.  James  twice  a  month  at 
Goldsboro.  Small  organization,  but  no  house.  H. 
Lennon  one  Sunday  afternoon  in  each  month  at 
Lumberton.  Wingate  and  Walters  one  Sunday  each 
at  Franklinton.  No  house.  W.  T.  Brooks  once  a 
month  at  Henderson.  No  organization  and  no  house. 
Thomas  Lansdell  at  Tarboro.  Greensboro  was  not 
supplied.  B.  F.  Marable  was  appointed  missionary 
there,  but  declined  in  order  to  go  to  Furman  Theolo- 
gical Institute.  Tarboro  is  the  only  one  of  the  above 
points  still  aided  by  the  Board. 

Committee  on  Agency  recommend  that  no  general 
agent  be  employed  for  next  year.  This  report  was 
adopted,  and  the  general  agency  was  abolished,  never 
to  be  established  again  under  that  name. 

This  seems  to  have  been  an  uninteresting  Conven- 
vention,  perhaps  the  dullest  yet  held.  You  will  read 
now  of  the  most  remarkable  session  in  the  Conven- 
tion's history. 

Raleigh,  November  5-10,  1856. 

In  many  respects  this  was  the  greatest  session  of 
the  Convention  ever  held  before  or  since.  At  this 
memorable  meeting  it  was  very  evident  that  the  de- 
nomination was  beginning  to  feel  the  "hidings  of  its 
power."  It  laid  aside  forever  the  "swaddling  clothes 
of  infancy the  "day  of  small  things'7  is  left  behind, 
and  the  admonition  of  Paul  to  the  Corinthians,  "be 
ye  also  enlarged,"  is  to  be  the  watchword  of  the 
North  Carolina  Baptists  in  the  future. 


BAPTIST  STATE  CONVENTION. 


61 


This  item  from  the  Recorder  of  January  1,  1896, 
tells  the  story:  "The  greatest  money-raising  meeting 
of  our  Convention  occurred  in  1856  at  Ealeigh; 
$25,125  was  raised  for  Wake  Forest  College,  $800 
for  Home  Missions,  $637.40  for  Foreign  Missions, 
$485.80  for  ministerial  education,  and  $13,650  for 
the  Baptist  Church  in  Raleigh." 

~No  Convention  since  has  reached  this  in  its  mag- 
nificent giving,  for  every  dollar  of  their  pledge,  we  are 
told,  was  paid.  Fifty  thousand  dollars  had  been  se- 
cured prior  to  this  Convention,  for  the  endowment  of 
Wake  Forest  College.  Elder  John  Mitchell  (men- 
tioned for  the  first  time)  was  employed  as  agent  for 
Wake  Forest.  He  was  to  collect  the  pledges  made  at 
this  Convention,  and  to  solicit  other  funds.  The  hope 
was  entertained  that  the  endowment  might  reach 
$100,000. 

Dr.  Wingate,  who  wrote  the  report  on  Home  Mis- 
sions, says  that  the  destitution  in  the  State  was  never 
felt  so  much  as  now,  because  of  internal  improve- 
ments. Railroads  were  being  built,  and  towns  were 
going  up  along  these  lines  of  roads. 

I  have  only  given  a  brief,  general  outline  of  this 
great  Convention.  It  was  a  meeting  of  remarkable 
spiritual  power.  Dr.  Skinner,  who  was  present,  in- 
formed me  that  it  was  indescribable.  Men  wept  and 
laughed  and  prayed  and  sang,  and  all  felt  as  Peter 
did  on  the  Mount,  that  it  was  good  to  be  there. 

The  Clerk  reports  Elder  James  McDaniel,  in  some 


62  HISTORY  OF  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA 

remarks  in  opening  the  Convention,  as  saying  that 
he  was  the  only  member  present  of  those  who  were 
at  the  formation  of  the  body.  His  co-laborers  in  that 
work  which  he  regarded  as  one  of  the  happiest  inci- 
dents in  his  life,  had  "gone  to  their  rest  above."  Mr. 
McDaniel  was  evidently  mistaken,  or  the  Clerk  re- 
ported him  incorrectly.  Mr.  C.  W.  Skinner,  Sr., 
who  was  present  at  the  formation  of  the  Convention, 
was  at  this  great  Convention  of  '56,  and  was  very 
much  alive,  as  he  contributed  the  largest  sums  to 
Wake  Forest  College  and  the  Kaleigh  Church. 
Samuel  Wait  and  P.  W.  Dowd,  who  were  at  the  or- 
ganization of  the  Convention  (P.  W.  Dowd  being  the 
first  President),  did  not  die  until  ten  years  after 
this.  At  this  time  they  had  not  "gone  to  their  rest 
above.''  I  think  it  far  more  probable  that  Mr.  Mc- 
Daniel was  incorrectly  reported  than  that  he  was 
mistaken  about  a  matter  of  this  kind. 

Hertford,  November  4-9,  1857. 

Gratifying  progress  has  been  made  at  some  points. 
Charlotte  has  a  church  of  fifty- three  members  and  a 
house  of  worship  finished  and  paid  for.  A  missionary 
is  sadly  needed  at  Wilkesboro.  Great  destitution  in 
Pamlico  Association.  Twenty-seven  churches  and 
fifteen  of  them  closed  for  want  of  preachers. 
Churches  a  prey  to  designing  men,  "false  teachers," 
who  come  in  among  them.  Buncombe  County  very 
destitute  of  Missionary  Baptist  preaching.  Commit- 
tee on  new  fields  recommended  Hamilton,  Carthage, 


BAPTIST  STATE  CONVENTION. 


63 


Statesville  and  Plymouth,  in  addition  to  those  already 
occupied. 

Elder  John  Mitchell  reports  a  fine  year's  work  for 
the  endowment.  Forty-five  thousand  dollars  has  been 
collected,  leaving  $5,000  of  the  amount  they  set  out 
to  raise.  The  five  thousand  was  raised  in  connection 
with  the  discussion  of  report  on  the  endowment.  The 
rest  of  the  evening  was  spent  in  prayer  and  thanks- 
giving. This  completes  the  first  $100,000  of  endow- 
ment. There  were  ten  ministerial  students  at  Wake 
Forest  last  year. 

The  following  high  schools  were  established  last 
year :  Warsaw,  property  and  fixtures  worth  $5,000 ; 
Kaleigh  Associational  School  at  Holly  Springs,  cost 
not  known;  Beulah  Associational  School  at  Madison, 
cost  $2,000;  L.  H.  Shuck,  Principal. 

After  a  sermon  Sunday  morning  by  J.  L.  Pritch- 
ard,  a  collection  was  taken  for  Foreign  Missions 
amounting  to  $359.20. 

A  committee,  which  had  been  appointed  for  the 
purpose,  reported  that  a  monument  had  been  erected 
at  the  grave  of  Thomas  Meredith  at  a  cost  of  $200. 

A  resolution  was  passed  requesting  Elder  J.  J. 
James  to  gather  the  minutes  of  the  Convention  from 
the  time  of  its  formation,  and  have  them  bound.  This 
he  must  have  been  unable  to  do. 

Kaleigh,  November  10-15,  1858. 
This  is  a  great  Foreign  Mission  meeting.    M.  T. 


64 


HISTORY  OF  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA 


Yates  has  returned  from  China  and  is  present  at  this 
Convention.  His  speech  stirred  the  hearts  of  the 
brethren,  and  they  passed  strong  resolutions  urging 
the  churches  to  do  more  for  Foreign  Missions.  A 
collection  was  taken  for  Foreign  Missions  amounting 
to  $422.25. 

Dr.  Boyce  is  here  in  the  interest  of  the  Theological 
Seminary,  for  the  establishment  of  which  funds  are 
being  raised.  The  handsome  sum  of  $5,000  was 
given  in  cash  and  pledges.  The  list  is  headed  by 
T.  E.  Skinner,  with  a  gift  of  $500.  A.  E.  Dickenson 
is  also  here  representing  the  Foreign  Mission  Board. 
He  and  Elder  Reuben  Jones  stir  the  Convention  on 
the  subject  of  colportage  work,  and  the  brethren  de- 
termine to  do  something.  I  have  no  doubt  the  reader 
will  share  in  the  pleasure  the  writer  experienced  in 
reading  the  following  resolution: 

"Resolved,  That  we  hereafter  denominate  our 
State  missionary  operations,  'State  Missions/  in  dis- 
tinction from  the  'Domestic  Missions  of  the  Board  of 
the  Southern  Baptist  Convention. '  It  has  been  awk- 
ward to  speak  of  State  Missions  as  'Home  Missions.' " 

It  will  be  recalled  that  the  Board  was  bent  on 
abolishing  the  agency.  Hear  them  now:  "Your 
Board  have  had  no  General  Agent  during  the  year, 
hoping  that  the  churches  throughout  the  State  would 
contribute  to  the  funds  of  the  Convention,  so  as  to 
obviate  the  necessity  of  the  labor  and  expense  of  an 
agent.  But  in  this  we  have  been  disappointed.  We, 
therefore,  commend  to  the  Convention  the  considera- 


BAPTIST  STATE  CONVENTION. 


65 


tion  of  this  subject,  and  await  an  expression  of  your 
views."  The  Committee  on  the  Agency  reported 
recommending  to  the  Convention,  the  employment  of 
a  General  Agent,  who  should  also  be  the  Correspond- 
ing Secretary  of  the  Board,  and  known  by  that  title. 
This  recommendation  was  adopted.  Heretofore  the 
Corresponding  Secretary  was  some  pastor,  who  did 
the  correspondence  and  office  work  connected  with  our 
missionary  operations.  He  received  no  compensa- 
tion, but  his  expenses  were  all  paid.  Having  less 
than  a  thousand  dollars  to  disburse,  and  from  five  to 
ten  missionaries  with  whom  to  correspond,  it  will  be 
seen  that  his  duties  were  not  onerous.  The  General 
Agent  was  a  sort  of  Field  Secretary,  who  traveled 
through  the  State,  presenting  the  objects  of  the  Con- 
vention and  seeking  to  deepen  the  spirit  of  benevo- 
lence. At  this  Convention  the  two  offices  were  com- 
bined, and  that  arrangement  still  continues. 

A.  J.  Emerson  was  elected  Corresponding  Secre- 
tary. R.  H.  Griffith  says  that  we  should  raise  at 
least  $8,000  for  State  Missions. 

A  complaint  is  made  that  one  denomination  has 
practically  monopolized  the  chaplaincy  of  the  TJ.  S. 
Army.  Committee  appointed  to  memoralize  Congress 
in  regard  to  the  matter. 

Collection  was  taken  for  Asheville  Church,  amount- 
ing to  $435.55. 


5 


66 


HISTORY  OF  THE  NOETH  CAROLINA 


Charlotte,  November  2-7,  1859. 

J.  B.  Richardson  is  here  from  Wake  Forest,  where 
he  is  a  ministerial  student,  and  J.  H.  Mills  from 
Oxford  Female  Seminary. 

J.  D.  Hufham  makes  his  first  speech  before  the 
Convention,  on  the  subject  of  Foreign  Missions. 

A.  M.  Lewis,  Esq.,  states  that  a  site  has  been  pur- 
chased in  Raleigh  "for  the  purpose  of  erecting  and 
establishing  a  denominational  female  school  of  high 
order." 

The  following  report  on  periodicals  evoked  a  lively 
discussion : 

"Resolved,  That  it  is  the  sense  of  this  committee 
that  Elder  James  has  the  ability  to  make  the  Re- 
corder such  a  paper  as  will  meet  the  wants  of  our 
denomination  in  this  State. 

"That  Elder  James  be  recommended  to  enlarge 
the  Recorder  at  least  one  column  on  each  page. 

"That  he  employ  an  additional  editor,  or  a  suffi- 
cient number  of  contributors,  either  in  or  out  of  the 
State,  and  that  we  pledge  our  hearty  support  to  the 
paper,  provided  these  recommendations  be  complied 
with  by  the  editor. 99 

Mr.  James  agreed  to  comply  with  these  recom- 
mendations, and  the  report  was  adopted. 

Elder  John  Mitchell  preached  at  Greensboro  as  a 
Missionary  of  the  Board,  and  established  a  church 
with  fifteen  members.  Heretofore  it  had  been  an 
arm  of  the  Madison  Church.    The  Board  did  some 


BAPTIST  STATE  CONVENTION. 


67 


colportage  work  last  year  for  the  first  time.  Elder 
J.  S.  Purefoy  was  superintendent  of  colportage.  The 
Board  complains  that  the  Associations  work  inde- 
pendently and  will  not  report  their  work.  "This 
presents  scarcely  a  tithe  of  Mission  work  done  in  the 
State,  because  the  Associations  will  not  report  their 
work." 

"Resolved,  That  we  make  an  effort  to  raise  25 
cents  per  head  from  all  our  churches  for  State  Mis- 
sions and  10  cents  per  head  for  education." 

If  we  were  raising  that  amount  per  capita  to-day, 
we  would  receive  $50,000  for  State  Missions  and 
$20,000  for  education. 

Goedsboro,  October  31  to  November  3,  1860. 

K  B.  Cobb  and  W.  R.  Gwaltney  attend  for  the 
first  time.  Rev.  T.  E.  Skinner  was  received  as  agent 
for  the  Raleigh  Female  Seminary,  and  received  for 
this  enterprise  in  cash  and  subscriptions  $2,200. 

An  impostor  exposed.  "The  attention  of  the  Con- 
vention having  been  called  to  an  impostor  in  Arkan- 
sas, who  is  using  the  name  of  a  minister  of  this  Con- 
vention, on  motion  the  editors  of  the  Biblical  Re- 
corder were  requested  to  expose  him  in  their  paper." 

A  recommendation  to  create  separate  boards  for  the 
different  objects  of  the  Convention  was  referred  to 
a  committee.  The  committee  recommended  the  con- 
tinuance of  the  present  plan  of  having  but  one  Board 
for  all  objects.   Elder  B.  F.  Marable  was  Correspond- 


68  HISTORY  OF  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA 

ing  Secretary  last  year.  'No  Corresponding  Secre- 
tary was  secured  for  the  next  year,  1861.  Col- 
portage  work  was  vigorously  prosecuted  last  year. 
There  were  ten  colporteurs  and  the  results  of  their 
work  were  quite  encouraging. 

The  last  five  years  might  be  termed  the  "Golden 
Age"  of  the  ante-bellum  days  of  the  Convention.  In 
our  next  chapter  we  shall  enter  upon  the  dark  and 
bloody  period  of  the  Civil  War,  and  the  still  darker 
days  immediately  following  it.  As  "night  brings  out 
the  stars/7  this  period  of  darkness  reveals  the  heroic 
spirit  of  the  brethren  who  composed  our  North  Caro- 
lina Baptist  Zion  at  that  time. 


BAPTIST  STATE  CONVENTION. 


69 


CHAPTEE  IV. 
1861—1866. 

Raleigh,  November  12-18,  1861. 

"On  motion,  a  historical  committee,  consisting  of 
Elders  J.  D.  Hufham,  J.  L.  Prichard,  T.  E.  Skin- 
ner, S.  Wait,  E.  Dodson,  and  L.  EL  Shuck,  were  ap- 
pointed to  collect  and  report  to  this  Convention  such 
facts  connected  with  the  past  history  of  the  denomina- 
tion in  the  State  as  may  be  thought  worthy  of  preser- 
vation." 

A  Committee  on  athe  State  of  Our  Country,"  com- 
posed of  T.  E.  Skinner,  W.  T.  Walters,  and  A  J. 
Emerson,  speak  in  strong  terms  of  the  unjust  war 
waged  by  the  United  States  on  the  Confederate  States. 
They  express  their  gratitude  that  God  has  thus  far 
given  them  the  victory  over  their  enemies,  and  recom- 
mend that  10  o'clock  every  Sabbath  morning  be  ob- 
served as  an  hour  of  prayer  for  the  success  of  our 
cause. 

J.  J.  James  retires  from  the  editorship  of  the  Re- 
corder and  J.  D.  Hufham  becomes  editor. 

Erom  the  report  of  the  Board  we  gather  that  every- 
thing is  greatly  depressed  on  account  of  war.  State 
Missions  is  $742.83  in  debt.  The  Board  recommends 
continuing  only  two  missionaries,  R.  H.  Griffith  at 
Charlotte,  and  John  Mitchell  at  Greensboro. 

Ministerial  education  is  $670.76  in  debt.  A  special 
committee  was  appointed  on  indebtedness.    They  re- 


70 


HISTORY  OF  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA 


port  the  entire  indebtedness  to  be  $1,750.  This  was 
the  largest  debt  ever  reported  at  a  Convention  up  to 
this  time.  Dr.  Hufham  is  requested  to  appeal  to 
the  churches  through  the  Recorder  in  regard  to  the 
debt. 

A.  Broaddus  is  welcomed  as  a  visitor.  He  comes 
as  a  representative  of  the  Seminary  and  of  the  Home 
Mission  Board.  I  presume  this  is  Andrew  Broaddus, 
though  his  coming  as  a  representative  of  the  Semi- 
nary is  pretty  strong  circumstantial  evidence  that  the 
record  should  have  been  J.  A.  instead  of  A.  Broaddus. 

Heretofore  the  denomination  had  been  referred  to 
as  the  Baptist  Church.  "On  motion  the  phrase,  'the 
Baptist  Church/  in  the  5th  and  6th  articles  of  the 
Constitution,  were  changed  to  'a  Baptist  Church.'  " 

Raleigh,  October  28-31,  1863. 
The  minutes  of  1862  are  not  in  the  bound  volume. 
It  is  likely  that,  on  account  of  the  demoralized  con- 
dition of  affairs  incident  to  the  war,  the  minutes  of 
that  session  were  not  printed.    We  gather  from  the 
minutes  of  761  that  "the  Convention  adjourned  to 
meet  at  Wake  Forest  College  on  Wednesday  before 
the  first  Sabbath  in  November,  1862." 
j     There  are  now  three  Boards,  the  Board  of  Mis- 
/  sions,  Board  of  Education  and  Sunday  School  and 
j   Publication  Board.    This  change  was  evidently  made 
at  the  last  Convention,  of  which  we  have  no  record. 

The  Board  of  Missions  was  located  at  Goldsboro, 
with  P.  D.  Gold  as  Chairman;  the  Board  of  Educa- 


BAPTIST  STATE  CONVENTION. 


71 


tion  was  located  at  Wake  Forest  College.  The  loca- 
tion of  the  Sunday  School  Board  is  not  given. 

"Resolved,  That  the  Board  of  Education  be  in- 
structed to  appoint  an  agent  to  canvass  the  State  and 
solicit  funds  for  the  education  of  the  children  of  in- 
digent, deceased  and  disabled  soldiers,  to  invest  said 
funds  in  any  way  that  they  may  deem  proper  and 
report  to  the  next  session  of  the  body." 

Owing  to  the  increased  cost  of  publishing  the  Re- 
corder, Dr.  Hufham  has  advanced  the  price.  In  the 
report  on  periodicals,  the  committee  says:  "We  are 
well  pleased  with  our  paper,  the  Biblical  Recorder, 
and  will  endeavor  to  sustain  it.  We  commend  the 
course  of  the  editor  in  increasing  the  price  instead  of 
diminishing  the  size  of  the  paper.77  The  Convention, 
however,  passed  the  following  resolution: 

"Resolved,  That  with  a  desire  of  avoiding  an  in- 
crease of  the  subscription  price  of  the  Recorder, 
Brother  Hufham  be  requested  to  publish  it  on  a  half- 
sheet,  or  on  such  sized  paper  as  will  secure  him  re- 
munerative compensation.77  More  than  $800  was 
pledged  to  send  the  Recorder  to  the  soldiers. 

State  Mission  work  has  been  altogether  abandoned, 
and  everything  is  concentrated  on  army  colportage. 
Elder  N".  B.  Cobb  is  superintendent  of  colportage 
work  among  the  soldiers,  and  has  23  colporteurs  at 
work.  His  report  shows  that  $20,616.58  was  con- 
tributed last  year  for  colportage  work. 

Last  year  $1,773.45  was  contributed  to  Foreign 
Missions.    Of  this  amount  $795  was  given  by  Elder 


•^72  HISTORY  OF  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA 

R.  Newton,  and  $50  by  Anna  Newton.  Dr.  Hufham 
informs  me  that  Anna  Newton  was  a  daughter  of 
Elder  R.  Newton  and  that  they  were  residents  of 
Cumberland  County. 

Great  revivals  are  reported  among  the  soldiers, 
especially  in  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia.  No 
Corresponding  Secretary  was  in  the  field  last  year. 
Everything  is  at  a  standstill  except  army  colportage. 

J.  L.  Prichard  has  died  since  the  last  Convention. 
Dr.  Hufham  writes  a  long  and  interesting  obituary. 
There  was  an  epidemic  of  yellow  fever  in  Wilming- 
ton where  Mr.  Prichard  was  pastor.  He  was  advised 
to  leave,  but  stayed  by  his  people  and  fell  a  victim 
to  the  dread  disease.  He  died  a  martyr  to  duty.  In 
speaking  of  him  as  a  preacher,  Dr.  Hufham  says: 
"His  sermons  were  plain,  pointed  and  practical,  and 
free  from  the  tinselry  of  rhetoric,  and  those  ex- 
traneous ornaments,  which  often  give  a  preacher 
notoriety,  and  please  without  edifying  his  hearers." 

The  minutes  of  1864  are  missing.  The  Conven- 
tion that  year  was  held  in  Warrenton,  but  we  have 
no  record  of  the  proceedings. 

Eayetteville,  November  1-4,  1865. 

The  army  colportage  department  has  been  turned 
into  the  Sunday  School  and  Publication  Board.  N.  B. 
Cobb,  who  was  superintendent  of  army  colportage, 
is  now  Corresponding  Secretary  of  the  Sunday  School 
Board.  As  superintendent  of  army  colportage,  Mr. 
Cobb  did  the  best  work  of  his  life.    He  was  ad- 


BAPTIST  STATE  CONVENTION. 


73 


mirably  fitted  for  the  position,  and  administered  the 
affairs  of  his  office  in  a  very  masterful  manner.  His 
report  as  Sunday  School  Secretary  makes  a  fine  show- 
ing. The  assets  of  this  Board  amounted  to  $10,- 
199.46,  and  the  expenditures  $4,156.25,  leaving 
balance  on  hand  of  $6,043.89.  In  these  assets  are 
to  be  included  stock  left  over  from  army  colportage, 
amounting  to  $5,143.85,  and  a  little  over  $1,300  con- 
tributed for  corportage  last  year  before  the  war 
closed. 

The  Recorder  was  wrecked  by  Sherman's  Army, 
and  had  suspended  for  a  few  months,  but  the 
brethren  rejoice  that  Elder  Hufham  is  to  resume  the 
publication,  and  pledge  to  it  a  loyal  support. 

First  mention  of  the  North  Carolina  Baptist 
Almanac.  Ten  thousand  copies  were  published  last 
year. 

An  important  resolution  was  adopted  in  regard  to 
the  colored  people.  The  brethren  realize  that  a  new 
responsibility  is  thrust  upon  them  by  the  emancipa- 
tion of  the  slaves  and  pledge  themselves  to  do  all  in 
their  power  for  the  religious  and  educational  develop- 
ment of  the  negroes. 

A  large  part  of  the  endowment  of  Wake  Forest 
College  was  swept  away.  Forty-six  thousand  dollars, 
which  had  been  invested  in  Confederate  bonds,  was 
lost.  Fifty-seven  thousand  three  hundred  dollars 
was  in  State  bonds  and  individual  notes,  which,  they 
hope,  is  safe.  They  take  this  loss  in  a  very  philo- 
sophical way,  as  the  conclusion  of  the  report  of  Com- 


74 


HISTORY  OF  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA 


mittee  on  Endowment  shows :  "Your  committee  are 
of  opinion  that  the  present  financial  condition  of 
Wake  Forest  College  will  compare  favorably  with 
that  of  any  other  Southern  institution  of  learning, 
and  that  no  blame  should  be  attached  to  the  Treas- 
urer or  Board  of  Trustees  for  the  losses  sustained  by 
investing  in  Confederate  bonds." 

From  April,  1862,  to  April,  1865,  the_s_umj>f 
$74,610.62  was__contributed  Tor  ar^iv^ojp^tage^ 

"^WTTTT^WalleTs^was  elected  Corresponding  Secre- 
tary for  the  ensuing  year. 

The  war  has  closed.  The  South  is  in  ashes.  Deso- 
lation reigns  on  every  hand.  But  these  fathers  "gird 
up  the  loins  of  their  minds"  to  begin  the  work  of  the 
Board  anew.  They  were  "troubled  on  every  side,  but 
not  in  distress,  perplexed  but  not  in  despair."  They 
began  at  once  to  "strengthen  the  things  that  remain." 

Raleigh,  May  23-27,  1866. 

It  will  be  observed  that  the  time  of  meeting  has 
been  changed  from  November  to  May.  So  many 
men  of  our  present  day  attended  this  Convention, 
that  we  can  not  mention  their  names.  There  is  great 
rejoicing  that  Wake  Forest  College  has  been  re- 
opened. Three  ministerial  students  were  aided  last 
year.  Financial  showing  of  the  Sunday  School  Board 
not  so  good.    Only  $11.55  above  liabilities. 

"Resolved,  That  the  thanks  of  this  body  are  due 
and  are  hereby  tendered  to  -N".  J3-  Cobb  for  the  faith- 
fulness with  which  he  has  discharged  the  duties  of 


BAPTIST  STATE  CONVENTION. 


75 


Corresponding  Secretary  of  the  Sunday  School  and 
Publication  Board." 

Publication  of  the  Recorder  has  been  resumed  by 
Elder  Hufham.  We  can  never  know  how  much  it 
meant  to  our  cause,  that  the  publication  of  the  Re- 
corder was  not  suspended  during  the  war.  It  kept 
intact  our  denomination,  and  it  carried  weekly  mes- 
sages to  thousands  of  our  soldier  boys.  Let  us  thank 
God  that  through  that  stormy  period  the  hand  of 
J.  D.  Hufham  was  on  the  helm  of  the  old  Recorder. 
A  man  of  less  heroic  mold  would  have  given  up  in 
discouragement. 

The  report  of  the  Corresponding  Secretary,  in  the 
minutes  of  1866,  is  thrilling,  because  of  the  circum- 
stances. Permit  a  quotation  or  two  :  "The  churches 
have  exhibited  an  interest  and  a  spirit  of  self-sacrifice 
unexampled  in  our  former  history.  I  am  sure,  in 
some  instances,  at  least,  we  have  received  the  widow's 
mite.  As  quietly  and  privately  these  contributions 
have  been  thrust  into  my  hands,  and  the  donators 
have  turned  away  with  throbbing  hearts  and  stream- 
ing eyes,  I  felt  that  all  were  making  sacrifices,  and 
many  very  great  sacrifices."  Importance  of  State 
Missions  urged  because  of  the  dangerous  doctrines 
that  are  finding  their  way  into  our  section.  "The 
Methodists,  Presbyterians,  Episcopalians  and  Bap- 
tists have  hitherto  had  almost  exclusive  control  of 
the  religious  interests  of  the  Southern  States,  but 
now  Unitarians  and,  indeed,  all  the  isms  which  years 


76 


HISTORY  OF  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA 


ago  gained  a  strong  foothold  in  the  Northern  States, 
are  looking  upon  our  section  of  the  country  as  a  field 
already  white  for  the  harvest."  *  *  *  "The  only 
hope  for  succeeding  generations  is  in  the  power  of 
the  Cross  of  Christ,  and  you,  dear  brethren  of  the 
Board,  are  to  inaugurate  measures  to  secure  the 
preaching  of  Christ  and  Him  Crucified  to  the  people 
of  our  State,  as  their  only  hope  in  time  and  eternity. 
May  God  enlarge  your  hearts  and  give  you  wisdom 
and  grace  to  do  the  work  assigned  you." 

The  Board  finds  it  necessary  to  aid  the  pastors  of 
some  of  our  strongest  churches  in  order  to  give  them 
a  support.  Two  hundred  dollars  was  appropriated 
to  James  McDaniel  at  Fayetteville,  and  two  hundred 
dollars  to  T.  B.  Kingsbury  at  Warrenton. 

The  brethren  now  begin  to  gather  up  the  scattered 
threads,  and  to  weave  them  into  a  web  of  glorious 
history. 


BAPTIST  STATE  CONVENTION. 


77 


CHAPTEE  V. 
1867—1880. 


Wilmington,  May  22-25,  1867. 

The  work  of  State  Missions  is  being  enlarged. 
Seventeen  missionaries  were  employed  last  year.  The 
Board  says  that  instead  of  seventeen  we  should  have 
a  hundred.  All  the  Associations  in  the  State  are  now 
co-operating  with  the  Board.  The  contributions  are 
larger  than  in  the  years  of  greatest  prosperity.  In 
addition  to  the  $3,000  which  had  been  collected,  there 
was  enough  due  in  subscriptions  to  swell  the  amount 
to  $5,000  for  State  Missions.  This  increase  is  due, 
in  part  at  least,  to  the  fact  that  the  Associations  are 
now  working  through  the  Board  rather  than  inde- 
pendently. Heretofore  amounts  contributed  for  As- 
sociational  Missions  did  not  appear  in  the  Treas- 
urer's report. 

There  is  a  reaction  in  the  work  of  the  Sunday 
School  Board.  Several  agents  had  been  employed  to 
canvass  the  State,  but  had  not  raised  enough  to  pay 
their  own  expenses.  The  Board  is  in  debt  $1,000. 
From  this  time  until  it  was  abolished,  the  Sunday 
School  Board  was  a  kind  of  "white  elephant"  on  the 
hands  of  the  Convention. 

Work  is  begun  for  the  endowment  of  Wake  Forest 
College.  B.  B.  Jones,  Agent,  had  been  raising  funds 
at  the  rate  of  a  thousand  dollars  a  week.  He  had  been 


78 


HISTORY  OF  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA 


in  the  field  four  months  and  had  secured  in  cash  and 
subscriptions  $16,000. 

Dr.  Boyce  received  subscriptions  to  the  Seminary, 
amounting  to  $1,800. 

"Resolved,  That  we  commend  to  the  liberality  of 
the  brethren  at  large,  Elder  W.  M.  Jones,  or  any 
agent  of  the  Church  in  Wilmington,  who  visits  them 
to  secure  funds  for  the  completion  of  the  house  of 
worship  of  said  church." 

J.  B.  Solomon  introduced  a  resolution  which  would 
practically  have  turned  the  work  of  State  Missions 
over  to  the  Home  Mission  Board  of  the  Southern 
Baptist  Convention.  This  is  the  third  time  such  an 
attempt  has  been  made.  This,  like  the  other  similar 
resolutions,  was  voted  down.  One  almost  trembles 
to  think  what  the  result  would  have  been  had  such  a 
resolution  passed. 

The  Committee  on  Periodicals  recommend  the 
Recorder,  Kind  Words  and  Child's  Delight. 

P.  W.  Dowd,  the  first  President  of  the  Convention, 
and  Noah  Richardson,  who  had  been  an  attendant 
upon  the  sessions  for  a  long  time,  have  both  died 
since  the  meeting  of  the  last  Convention. 

Goldsboro,  October  16-19,  1867. 

It  will  be  observed  that  two  Conventions  were  held 
in  1867,  caused  by  changing  the  time  again  from  May 
to  October. 

Invitation  to  visiting  brethren  was 1  accepted  by 
Thomas  Henderson  Pritchard,    of    Virginia.  Dr. 


BAPTIST  STATE  CONVENTION. 


79 


Pritchard  went  from  Hertford  to  Petersburg,  Va., 
to  become  pastor  of  the  First  Baptist  Church  there. 

Dr.  Skinner  has  resigned  as  pastor  of  the  Church 
in  Raleigh  and  will  go  to  another  State.  Resolutions 
are  passed  expressing  regret  at  his  departure,  and 
appreciation  of  his  great  work  in  the  State.  They 
also  declare  their  high  regard  for  "our  esteemed  and 
venerated  brother,  C.  W.  Skinner,  who  will  accom- 
pany his  son." 

At  the  request  of  the  colored  brethren,  a  commit- 
tee was  appointed  to  aid  them  in  the  organization  of 
a  colored  Baptist  State  Convention. 

Extracts  from  the  report  of  the  Board  of  Missions : 

"We  have  collected  and  expended  about  $2,000 
since  the  last  meeting  of  the  Convention,  less  than 
five  months.  Our  field  of  operations  is  steadily  en- 
larging, and  we  are  now  reaching  points  of  destitution 
in  parts  of  the  State  far  remote  from  us.  To-day 
North  Carolina  is  more  nearly  allied  in  the  work  of 
home  evangelization  than  at  any  period  of  our  past 
history."  Special  attention  is  called  to  what  is  said 
about  Associational  Executive  Committees : 

aIn  the  plan  upon  which  we  now  act  we  do  not 
desire  the  disorganization  of  Associational  Commit- 
tees, but  urge  their  appointment  in  all  the  District 
Associations.  These  committees  look  out  and  report 
upon  the  destitution  in  their  own  bounds,  and  recom- 
mend such  appointments  as  they  deem  advisable." 
They  state  further  that  the  Executive  Committees 
should  seek  to  increase  the  contributions  from  the 


80 


HISTORY  OF  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA 


churches,  and  should  endorse  none  but  worthy  men 
and  needy  fields.  In  this  way  they  could  act  as  safe- 
guards, and  prevent  the  wasting  of  money  upon 
fields  not  needing  help. 

Contributions  to  Home  and  Foreign  Missions  have 
fallen,  according  to  the  Treasurer's  report,  to  less 
than  $100  each.  This  is  because  each  Board  has  an 
agent  in  the  State  and  contributions  do  not  pass 
through  the  hands  of  our  Treasurer. 

The  Committee  on  Periodicals  declare  that  the 
Recorder  should  go  into  the  homes  of  all  our  people. 
"It  will  carry  news  to  them  from  all  parts  uf  the 
State,  and  so  cheaply — only  three  dollars." 

Dr.  Samuel  Wait  has  died  since  the  last  Conven- 
tion. He  was  one  of  the  founders  of  the  Convention, 
first  President  of  Wake  Forest  College,  and  President 
of  Oxford  Female  Seminary. 

On  the  back  of  the  minutes  for  1867  is  an  adver- 
tisement of  the  Biblical  Recorder.  Walters,  Hughes 
&  Co.  are  proprietors ;  W.  G.  Walters  and  J.  H.  Mills 
are  editors,  and  W.  M.  Wingate,  associate  editor. 
W.  T.  Walters,  though  one  of  the  editors  of  the 
Recorder,  is  still  Corresponding  Secretary  of  the  Con- 
vention. 

Hillsboro,  October  28-30,  1868. 

Dr.  Pritchard  is  back  from  Virginia,  having  been 
called  to  the  Church  in  Kaleigh.  A  message  is  de- 
livered from  Elder  James  McDaniel,  who  is  at  home 
sick.    Elder  Samuel  G.  Mason  was  elected  President. 


BAPTIST  STATE  CONVENTION. 


81 


The  name  of  J.  A.  Broadus  appears  for  the  first 
time.    He  represents  the  Seminary. 

The  Sunday  School  Board  is  np  again.  Some  books 
were  returned  to  the  Philadelphia  Publication  Society 
which  cut  down  the  indebtedness  to  $500.  Some  old 
stock  of  no  value  on  hand.  Some  accounts  due  but 
can  not  be  collected.  Reports  of  Committee  on  Sun- 
day School  Board  recommend : 

"First,  That  a  committee,  consisting  of  W.  J. 
Palmer,  P.  F.  Pescud,  John  G.  Williams,  J.  M. 
Heck,  and  W.  T.  Walters,  be  appointed  to  settle  up 
affairs  of  the  former  Board,  and  report  their  action 
to  the  next  meeting  of  this  body. 

"Second.  We  further  recommend  that  the  Sunday 
School  and  Publishing  Board  be  discontinued  and 
that  the  whole  work  contemplated  by  the  former 
Board  be  entrusted  to  the  Baptist  Sunday  School  As- 
sociation of  North  Carolina,  upon  condition  that  they 
make  annual  reports  of  their  operations  to  this  body." 
The  Baptist  Sunday  School  Association  was  not  yet 
organized,  but  plans  were  on  foot  for  its  organiza- 
tion. 

A  collection  of  $385  was  raised  to  be  applied  to 
the  debt  of  the  Sunday  School  Board  and  the  report 
was  adopted.  J".  C.  Hiden,  the  new  pastor  at  Wil- 
mington, attends  this  Convention. 

There  are  twenty-one  missionaries  on  the  field. 

"Resolved,  That  in  the  department  of  State  Mis- 
sions the  denomination  ought  to  expend  not  less  than 
$20,000  annually." 
6 


82 


HISTORY  OF  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA 


New  Bern,  November  10-14,  1869. 
Elder  W.  T.  Brooks  was  elected  President,  Elder 
C.  T.  Bailey  attends  for  the  first  time.  The  Sunday 
School  Association  submits  their  first  report,  B.  W. 
Justice  is  Corresponding  Secretary  of  the  Sunday 
School  Association,  and  they  have  several  district 
secretaries.  They  report  an  increase  in  the  number 
of  schools  and  in  attendance.  There  are  600  schools 
and  40,000  pupils;  $2,580.96  had  been  collected,  of 
which  amount  $1,651  was  given  by  the  Church  at 
Raleigh. 

Report  says:  ."The  labors  of  the  Corresponding 
Secretary  have  been  directed  more  to  organizing 
schools  and  conventions  and  forwarding  the  work  in 
different  portions  of  the  State  than  to  raising  money, 
trusting  that  the  Sunday  School  Association  would 
share,  in  common  with  the  other  objects  of  the  Con- 
vention, the  contributions  of  the  churches,  but  a  very 
limited  number  remembered  us  in  distributing  their 
gifts." 

Rather  discouraging  report  of  the  Board  of  Mis- 
sions. Only  seventeen  missionaries.  Churches  at 
High  Point  and  Thomasville  about  to  be  sold  for 
debt. 

Little  said  about  Home  and  Foreign  Mi&sions. 
Home  Mission  Board  has  one  agent  in  the  State, 
and  the  Foreign  Mission  Board  two.  Our  Board  does 
not  feel  the  responsibility  that  it  once  did  for  these 
objects.  No  mention  made  in  Treasurer's  report  of 
amounts  raised  for  Home  and  Foreign  Missions. 


BAPTIST  STATE  CONVENTION. 


83 


Dr.  Williams  represents  the  Seminary.  Took  a  col- 
lection for  students'  aid  fund,  amounting  to  $101.50. 
This  is  the  first  time  this  object  has  come  before  the 
Convention. 

Baleigh,  November  9-13,  1870. 

James  McDaniel  has  died  since  last  Convention. 
He  was  one  of  those  present  at  the  formation  of  the 
Convention,  and  served  as  President  for  eighteen 
consecutive  sessions,  a  longer  period  than  any  Presi- 
dent has  ever  served. 

Dr.  Yates  is  at  home  on  a  second  visit  from  China. 
He  is  warmly  welcomed,  but  does  not  seem  to  create 
the  enthusiam  that  he  did  on  his  first  visit,  due,  no 
doubt,  to  the  fact  that  the  Foreign  Mission  Board 
has  its  own  agent  in  our  State  and  there  does  not 
appear  to  be  very  close  and  cordial  co-operation  with 
our  Board. 

The  Sunday  School  Association  brings  a  rather 
gloomy  report  this  year.  The  Corresponding  Secre- 
tary resigned  at  the  close  of  last  year,  and  the  Board 
reports  a  debt  of  $300  due  a  special  agent.  Little 
interest  was  shown  in  this  work  outside  of  Baleigh. 
The  Secretary  says  he  found  aa  general  dislike  among 
the  churches  to  paying  salaries  of  agents."  No  won- 
der !  There  was  the  Corresponding  Secretary  of  our 
own  Convention,  the  Corresponding  Secretary  of  the 
Sunday  School  Association,  and  two  or  three  district 
agents,  two  agents  for  the  Foreign  Mission  Board, 
one  for  the  Home  Mission  Board  and  one  for  the 


84 


HISTORY  OF  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA 


Sunday  School  and  Publication  Society  of  the  South- 
ern Baptist  Convention.  It  would  be  a  very  long 
suffering  people  who  could  stand  all  that  without 
complaining. 

Little  has  been  done  in  the  department  of  State 
Missions.  W.  T.  Walters  was  elected  Corresponding 
Secretary  at  the  last  Convention,  but  resigned  at  close 
of  the  first  quarter.  At  the  beginning  of  the  year 
the  Board  was  in  debt  $916.55.  The  Board  pat  out 
three  evangelists,  with  instructions  that  they  were  to 
raise  money  for  State  Missions  wherever  they  went. 
ISTo  other  missionaries  were  employed  by  the  Board. 
These  evangelist's  collected  $208.15  above  their 
salaries.  This  brought  the  indebtedness  down  to 
$708.40.  It  is  the  same  old  trouble,  the  Associations 
are  swinging  off  and  working  independently,  leaving 
the  Board  without  means  to  supply  the  destitution  in 
the  State  at  large.  The  chairman  of  the  Board, 
through  the  Recorder,  requested  Associations  to  give 
account  of  Mission  work  done  within  their  bounds. 
Only  two  responded. 

The  brethren  see  that  a  vigorous  Corresponding 
Secretary  must  be  put  in  the  field  without  delay.  A 
committee  was  appointed  to  nominate  a  Correspond- 
ing Secretary.  The  name  of  Elder  J.  D.  Hufham 
was  presented  to  the  Convention.  "He  was  unani- 
mously elected,  and  the  Convention  was  led  in  prayer 
by  Elder  Hiden  for  the  blessing  of  God  upon  the 
appointment, " 


baptist  state  convention.  85 

Charlotte,  November  8-11,  1871. 
W.  T.  Brooks,  President. 

These  are  the  most  complete  minutes  ever  pub- 
lished up  to  this  time.  N.  B.  Cobb  is  Recording 
Secretary.  He  was  a  stenographic  reporter.  The 
minutes  contain  the  substance  of  the  principal  ad- 
dresses made.  For  the  first  time  statistics  by  asso- 
ciations and  churches  are  given,  so  far  as  the  minutes 
of  the  Associations  could  be  collected  by  the  Secre- 
tary. 

After  a  long  and  very  faithful  term  of  service  as 
Treasurer,  Mr.  James  S.  Purefoy  declined  re-election, 
and  Mr.  J.  G.  Williams,  of  Raleigh,  was  elected. 

In  its  report  to  the  Convention  the  Board  of  Mis- 
sions says:  "There  were  several  difficulties  in  the 
way  of  a  vigorous  and  efficient  prosecution  of  State 
Missions.  There  were  appeals  for  this  object  going 
before  the  churches  from  three  sources :  the  Domestic 
Mission  Board  of  the  Southern  Baptist  Convention, 
our  own  State  Convention,  and  the  District  Associa- 
tions, many  of  which  were  attempting  to  supply  the 
wants  of  particular  sections  without  co-operation  with 
with  the  Convention.  It  is  easy  to  see  how  confusion 
and  sometimes  clashing,  would  result.  Then  there 
were  old  debts  of  considerable  amounts,  and  some  of 
them  of  several  years'  standing,  to  be  provided  for." 

Not  many  missionaries  were  employed  by  the 
Board,  but  on  the  roll  were  some  of  the  best  men  in 
the  State.    E.  Allison  and  C.  J.  Nelson  were  ap- 


86 


HISTORY  OF  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA 


pointed  missionaries  in  the  Pamlico  Association. 
They  preached  at  Goldsboro,  Snow  Hill,  Greenville, 
Washington,  Plymouth,  Wilmington,  Scotland  ISTeck, 
and  other  points.  George  W.  Greene  was  at  Tarboro ; 
W.  K.  Gwaltney,  at  Chapel  Hill;  E.  M.  Jordan,  at 
Company  Shops  (now  Burlington),  Salisbury  and 
Winston;  W.  T.  Walters,  at  Weldon  and  Littleton; 
J.  B.  Richardson,  at  Greensboro;  H.  A.  Brown,  in 
the  Beulah  Association ;  J.  K.  Howell,  at  Lincolnton 
and  Hickory. 

A.  D.  Phillips,  missionary  to  Africa,  was  present, 
and  invited  to  a  seat  in  the  Convention. 

"On  motion,  a  committee  (Elder  Brunt,  chairman) 
was  appointed  to  consider  and  report  on  the  propriety 
of  appointing  a  board  to  assist  churches  in  the  erection 
of  houses  of  worship." 

"On  motion,  J.  H.  Mills  and  Elders  K  A.  Pure- 
foy,  Pritchard,  Walters  and  Hufham  were  appointed 
to  consider  and  report  on  the  propriety  of  appointing 
a  Sunday  School  Board  to  co-operate  with  the  Sunday 
School  Board  of  the  Southern  Baptist  Convention." 
This  committee  recommended  that  a  Sunday  School 
Board  be  appointed;  "provided  that  it  shall  in  no 
case  be  authorized  to  impose  any  pecuniary  obliga- 
tion on  the  Convention." 

The  committee,  to  nominate  the  Boards  of  the  Con- 
vention, recommended  that  the  Mission  Board  have 
supervision  of  the  Sunday  School  work.  This  recom- 
mendation elicited  considerable  discussion,  and  the 
part  of  the  report  referring  to  the  Sunday  School 


BAPTIST  STATE  CONVENTION. 


87 


Board  was  recommitted  to  the  committee.  R.  R. 
Overby,  chairman  of  committee,  submitted  another 
report,  reiterating  their  former  recommendation.  The 
report  was  amended  by  authorizing  the  appointment 
of  a  Sunday  School  Board,  to  be  located  at  Shelby, 
and  to  consist  of  the  following  brethren :  J.  Jenkins, 
J.  B.  Boone,  H.  C.  Davis,  John  Durham,  X.  B. 
Cobb,  A.  C.  Dixon,  and  W.  C.  Durham. 

In  the  report  on  obituaries  mention  is  made  of  the 
death  of  C.  W.  Skinner,  father  of  Thomas  E.  Skin- 
ner, and  one  of  the  fourteen  who  organized  the  Con- 
vention. 

Fayetteville,  November  6-9,  1872. 

W.  T.  Walters,  President.  K  B.  Cobb,  Record- 
ing Secretary.  H.  A.  Tupper,  Corresponding  Secre- 
tary of  the  Foreign  Mission  Board,  attends  this  ses- 
sion. C.  H.  Toy  is  present  as  representative  from 
the  Seminary. 

J.  H.  Mills,  by  permission,  made  statements  in  re- 
gard to  the  difficulties  of  editing  the  Recorder,  and 
suggested  that  the  Committee  on  Periodicals  recom- 
mend another  editor.  Mr.  Mills  was  editor  at  that 
time. 

The  Board  submits  a  short  but  encouraging  report, 
There  were  thirty-eight  missionaries  under  appoint- 
ment of  the  Board,  and  substantial  progress  was  made 
at  many  important  points.  The  amount  reported  for 
State  Missions  was  $5,626.33,  and  total  amount  for 
all  the  Mission  objects  was  $8,295.13. 


88 


HISTORY  OF  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA 


A  movement  is  put  on  foot  to  raise  a  hundred  thou- 
sand dollars  endowment  for  Wake  Forest  College. 

"A  collection  was  taken  for  the  Greensboro  Church, 
amounting  to  $87.00  in  cash  and  $35.00  in  pledges." 

Resolutions  are  passed  approving  the  action  of  the 
trustees  in  removing  the  Southern  Baptist  Theological 
Seminary  from  Greenville,  S.  0.,  to  Louisville,  Ky. 

The  Sunday  School  Board  recommended  the  ap- 
pointment of  a  Sunday  School  Missionary  for  the 
State.  A  committee,  which  was  appointed  to  report 
on  the  recommendation,  brought  in  an  adverse  report, 
which  was  adopted. 

From  the  summary  of  the  Secretary's  report,  we 
learn  that  there  were  thirty-six  white  Associations, 
with  822  churches  and  78,502  members,  and  twelve 
colored  Associations,  with  282  churches  and  27,560 
members. 

Warrenton,  November  5-8,  1873. 

President,  W.  T.  Brooks;  Corresponding  Secre- 
tary, J.  D.  Hufham. 

Dr.  Hufham  read  the  report  on  State  Missions.  In 
mentioning  the  difficulties,  he  says:  "It  was  decided 
at  the  last  session  of  the  Convention  to  make  a  general 
canvass  for  endowment  of  Wake  Forest,  and  to  en- 
deavor to  raise  a  hundred  thousand  dollars  during 
the  year.  In  view  of  this,  we  thought  it  would  not 
be  wise  to  extend  our  operations  very  largely  in  the 
department  of  State  Missions.'7 

Despite  the  discouragements,  considerable  progress 
was  made.    Twenty-five  missionaries  had  operated 


BAPTIST  STATE  CONVENTION. 


89 


under  the  direction  of  the  Board.  There  is  a  large 
debt  on  State  Missions.  The  appropriations  amounted 
to  $4,617.00,  and  the  receipts  were  only  $1,857.56. 
Dr.  Hufham  .says  he  intended  to  resign  as  Secretary 
when  he  came  to  the  Convention,  but  is  unwilling  to 
retire  while  the  Board  is  in  debt,  and  will  continue. 

The  Sunday  School  Board,  through  J.  B.  Boone, 
chairman,  submitted  an  interesting  report  to  the 
Convention.  N".  B.  Cobb  was  employed  as  Secretary 
of  the  Sunday  School  Board,  with  the  understanding 
that  the  Board  would  not  be  responsible  -for  his 
salary.  He  accepted  the  appointment,  relying  upon 
the  generosity  of  the  denomination  for  his  support. 
The  Treasurer's  report  shows  that  a  sufficient  amount 
was  not  raised  to  pay  the  salary  of  the  Secretaiy. 

Elder  A.  E.  Redd  has  purchased  the  Recorder  from 
Mr.  J.  H.  Mills.  He  has  formed  a  co-partnership 
with  Edwards  &  Broughton,  taking  in  the  Recorder 
as  his  part  of  the  stock.  There  are  now  3,200  pay- 
ing subscribers.  Dr.  Hufham  says,  "the  circulation 
is  larger  than  it  ever  was  and  the  paper  is  better 
than  it  ever  was." 

Dr.  Broadus  says  he  likes  to  put  the  Recorder  in 
the  hands  of  his  children,  because  of  its  excellent 
sense.  Besides,  it  is  sound  in  doctrine,  and  some  of 
our  very  best  writers  are  contributing  to  it.  He  reads 
it  with  unusual  interest. 

It  was  when  the  subject  of  education  was  called 
up  that  the  Convention  reached  "high-water  mark." 
Dr.  Wingate  presented  a  very  clear  and  ringing  re- 


90 


HISTORY  OF  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA 


port  in  regard  to  the  work  of  the  endowment.  He 
estimated  that  $40,000  had  been  raised,  mostly  in 
pledges.  This  was  a  year  memorable  for  its  financial 
stringency.  A  money  panic  had  swept  the  country 
from  side  to  side,  and  we  were  yet  in  the  throes  of  it. 
"But  such  seasons  make  heroes  of  us.  Heroes  many 
of  us  must  become  if  we  would  lift  our  State,  nay 
our  beloved  Zion,  from  the  ashes  of  her  sloth,  and 
possess  for  ourselves  and  our  children  a  heritage  of 
hope.  We  have  started  from  our  Egypt.  Let  come 
what  will,  our  faces  are  to  a  better  land.  We  must 
go  forward." 

After  a  very  enthusiastic  discussion,  participated  in 
by  many  of  the  brethren,  it  was  unanimously  agreed 
to  continue  the  canvass  for  the  endowment  through 
another  year. 

In  discussing  ministerial  education,  Dr.  Broadus 
said:  "There  is  no  conflict  between  the  teaching  of 
science  and  the  Bible,  but  the  conflict  is  between  the 
teachers  of  science  and  the  Bible." 

Wilmington,  November  4-7,  1874. 

J.  M.  Heck  was  elected  President,  and  J.  B. 
Kichardson,  Corresponding  Secretary,  Dr.  Hufham 
having  resigned.  No  man  ever  entered  upon  any 
work  under  more  discouraging  conditions  than  those 
which  confronted  Dr.  Hufham  when  he  became  Cor- 
responding Secretary.  There  has  never  been  an 
hour  in  the  history  of  the  Convention,  before  or  since, 
when  the  outlook  was  so  gloomy.     The  work  had 


BAPTIST  STATE  CONVENTION. 


91 


literally  gone  to  pieces.  The  year  before  lie  became 
Secretary,  the  former  Secretary  resigned  at  the  close 
of  the  first  quarter,  leaving  not  a  missionary  on  the 
field,  and  a  debt  of  $916.15.  Two  agents  were  put 
in  the  field  to  try  to  raise  this  debt.  After  paying 
their  salaries  and  expenses  the  debt  was  reduced  to 
$708.46.  The  Associations  were  working  indepen- 
dently and  a  state  of  disorganization  existed  from 
mountains  to  sea.  This  was  a  result  of  the  general 
demoralization  caused  by  the  war. 

Such  was  the  condition  of  affairs  when  J.  D.  Huf- 
ham  came  to  the  Secretaryship.  It  is  to  be  regretted 
that  we  are  not  able,  because  of  the  missing  minutes, 
to  give  his  work  in  detail.  Some  general  statements 
will  give  an  idea  of  what  he  did.  One  has  but  to 
compare  the  report  of  1870  with  that  of  1873  to  see 
the  very  remarkable  advance.  In  1873  a  goodly  num- 
ber of  the  Associations  had  been  brought  into  har- 
monious co-operation  with  the  Convention ;  about  two 
thousand  dollars  had  been  raised  for  State  Missions, 
and  twenty-five  missionaries  were  employed  by  the 
Board  and  the  co-operating  Associations.  In  other 
words,  during  these  four  years,  order  was  brought 
out  of  chaos,  and  the  Convention  once  more  started 
upon  an  onward  and  upward  career. 

Shelby,  November  10-13,  1875. 

John  Kerr,  President ;  J.  D.  Hufham,  Recording 
Secretary. 

The  Board  presents  a  gloomy  report.  They  have 
been  carrying  a  debt  for  two    years.     In  1872, 


92  HISTORY  OF  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA 

$5,626.33  was  reported  for  State  Missions,  while  in 
1873  the  contributions  reached  only  $1,857.56.  This 
is  accounted  for  in  part  by  the  fact  that  Assoeia- 
tional  Missions  were  included  in  the  receipts  of 
1872,  and  not  in  those  of  1873.  But  after  making 
this  allowance,  there  is  a  falling  off  of  more  than 
fifty  per  cent  in  one  year.  "This  remarkable  deficit 
was  due,  mainly,  to  the  monetary  panic  with  which 
the  whole  country  was  afflicted  that  year."  The  year 
1875  was  begun  with  a  debt  of  nearly  $2,000. 

Here  is  a  characteristic  speech  from  Elias  Dodson 
on  State  Missions :  "The  Devil  makes  and  misapplies 
Scripture.  ' Charity  begins  at  home'  is  Beelzebub's 
Scripture.  There  are  some  primary  and  some  second- 
ary duties.  What  God  calls  primary  duties  the  De^vil 
calls  secondary  duties.  Duty  to  God  is  a  primary 
duty ;  duty  to  self  is  secondary.  A  remark  in  regard 
to  towns.  Christ  and  his  apostles  labored  in  the 
towns.  All  the  epistles  addressed  to  churches,  except 
one,  are  addressed  to  town  churches." 

C.  T.  Bailey  and  J.  D.  Hufham  are  editing  the 
Recorder. 

Raleigh,  November  15-18,  1876. 

C.  M.  Cooke,  President. 

The  report  of  the  Board  shows  that  at  the  begin- 
ning of  this  year  there  was  an  accumulated  indebted- 
ness of  about  $2,000.  For  this  reason  it  was  thought 
best  to  employ  only  nine  missionaries.  The  debt  re- 
ported to  this  Convention  was  $481.83.    The  same 


BAPTIST  STATE  CONVENTION. 


93 


old  difficulty  confronts  the  Board,  viz:  want  of  co- 
operation on  the  part  of  the  Associations  with  the 
Convention. 

"We  would  urge  upon  our  pastors  and  churches  the 
importance  of  prosecuting,  so  far  as  possible,  the 
work  of  giving  religious  instruction  to  the  colored  peo- 
ple among  us,  and  we  request  our  Mission  and  Sun- 
day School  Boards,  so  far  as  practicable,  to  give  aid 
in  organizing  and  expending  among  them  Sunday 
School  and  church  privileges." 

T.  H.  Briggs,  Jr.,  offered  the  following  resolu- 
tions : 

"Resolved,  That  we  heartily  commend  to  our 
brethren  the  orphan  work  of  the  State,  at  present 
under  management  of  Bro.  J.  H.  Mills. 

"Resolved,  That  we  earnestly  request  the  pastors 
of  our  churches  to  make  stated  collections  for  said 
object,  using  every  effort  to  promote  the  noble  charity 
and  great  work  of  so  much  importance  to  the  Com- 
monwealth of  North  Carolina. 

"Resolved,  That  one-half  of  the  collection  to-mor- 
row morning  shall  be  appropriated  to  this  cause." 

Dr.  William  Hooper  has  died  since  the  last  Con- 
vention.   He  was  eighty-four  years  old. 

Durham,  November  7-10,  1877. 
John  Kerr,  President. 

The  Sunday  School  Board  makes  a  fine  report 
They  began  the  year  with  a  debt  of  $275.45.  Decided 
to  employ  no  Secretary.    The  services  of  Mr.  John 


94 


HISTORY  OF  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA 


E.  Ray  were  secured  for  as  much  time  as  he  could 
give  to  the  Board.  He  was  a  teacher  in  the  School 
for  the  Deaf,  Dumb  and  Blind,  over  which  institu- 
tion he  now  presides.  They  gave  him  a  salary  of  ten 
dollars  per  month  for  two  and  a  half  months,  and 
then  raised  it  to  fifteen  dollars  per  month.  The 
young  people  of  the  Raleigh  churches  aided  him  in 
his  correspondence.  The  "Little  Leader"  plan  was 
adopted,  and  bands  were  organized  in  many  schools, 
but  what  they  raised  was  used  largely  at  home.  A 
system  of  colportage  was  begun  on  a  small  scale.  An 
office  was  secured  in  the  Briggs  Building,  on  Fayette- 
ville  Street,  in  Raleigh.  The  Board  is  out  of  debt 
and  has  something  over  $900  to  its  credit. 

The  Woman's  Central  Committee  was  organized 
in  April,  1877,  with  Mrs.  J.  M.  Heck,  President  ; 
Mrs.  A.  M.  Lewis,  Vice-President;  Mrs.  P.  L.  Mah- 
ler, Secretary;  Mrs.  J.  C.  Scarborough,  Correspond- 
ing Secretary;  Mrs.  T.  H.  Pritchard,  Treasurer. 
They  report  seventeen  societies  organized  and  col- 
lections from  them  amounting  to  $342.16. 

Dr.  Pritchard  introduced  the  following  resolu- 
tions : 

"Resolved,  That  the  Convention  has  heard  with 
pleasure  of  the  formation  of  the  Central  Committee 
of  the  Woman's  Missionary  Societies  of  the  State 
and  the  good  work  it  has  accomplished. 

"Resolved.  That  we  commend  this  enterprise, 
which  has  as  its  end  the  development  of  the  gifts  and 
graces  of  the  Christian  women  of  the  State,  as  worthy 


BAPTIST  STATE  CONVENTION. 


95 


of  the  confidence  and  support  of  all  ministers  and 
churches. 

"Resolved,  That  we  cordially  invite  this  com- 
mittee to  report  the  work  they  may  be  able  to  accom- 
plish to  this  Convention  at  its  next  session." 

A  most  spirited  discussion  followed,  and  the  Con- 
vention adjourned  without  voting  on  the  resolutions. 
Subsequently  Dr.  Pritchard  amended  his  resolutions 
by  making  the  last  one  read  as  follows : 

"Resolved,  That  we  cordially  invite  this  commit- 
tee to  report  the  work  the  societies  organized  in  the 
churches  may  be  able  to  do  to  this  Convention  at  its 
next  annual  session." 

After  more  discussion,  the  report,  as  amended,  was 
adopted. 

J.  B.  Hartwell,  missionary  to  China,  was  intro- 
duced. 

The  North  Carolina  Baptist  Students'  Aid  Asso- 
ciation was  represented  by  J.  W.  Denmark,  and 
recommended  by  the  Convention. 

Dr.  Walters  has  died  since  last  Convention. 

Charlotte,  November  6-7,  1878. 
W.  A.  Graham,  President. 

J.  B.  Richardson  served  one  quarter  as  Correspond- 
ing Secretary,  at  the  conclusion  of  which  time  he  re- 
signed. Mr.  Richardson's  administration  was  handi- 
capped from  the  beginning  by  debt.  The  year  be- 
fore he  came  into  the  office,  the  energies  of  the  de- 
nomination were  centered  on  raising  a  hundred  thou- 

I 


96  HISTORY  OF  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA 

sand  dollars  endowment  for  Wake  Forest  College. 
With  this  effort  came  the  money  panic,  to  which 
reference  was  made  above.  The  Board  had  laid  out 
its  work  on  a  large  scale,  and  were  forced  to  report 
a  $2,000  debt.  The  clearing  awTay  of  this  debt  was 
the  chief  work  of  Dr.  Richardson,  and  he  succeeded 
admirably.  He  left  the  Board  free  of  debt.  Messrs. 
Hufham  and  Richardson  steered  the  State  Mission 
work  through  a  most  perilous  period,  and  deserve  the 
lasting  gratitude  of  the  denomination. 

Mr.  John  E.  Ray  was  asked  to  do  the  correspon- 
dence for  the  Board  after  the  resignation  of  Dr.  Rich- 
ardson at  a  salary  of  ten  dollars  per  month.  For 
several  years  Mr.  Ray  did  the  work  in  this  way. 

In  its  report  the  Board  says:  "There  are  three 
kinds  of  Associations  : 

(1)  Those  in  which  there  is  no  destitute  territory, 
but  such  as  can  be  reached  by  pastors.  (2)  Those  in 
which  there  is  some  destitution,  but  not  enough  to  re- 
quire all  the  funds  which  could  be  raised  by  the 
churches.  (3)  Those  in  which  there  is  destitution 
so  extensive  that  it  can  not  be  supplied  without  help 
from  other  Associations.  Now,  can  not  these  Asso- 
ciations be  induced  to  work  together  with  the  Con- 
vention as  a  common  centre  or  vehicle  of  communica- 
tion? If  it  can  be  done,  the  most  serious  difficulty 
in  our  way,  will  have  been  removed." 

Foreign  Missions  is  looking  up.  There  is  an  in 
crease  in  contributions  of  $800  over  last  year.  For 
several  years  the  Central  Association  has  been  paying 


BAPTIST  STATE  CONVENTION. 


97 


half  of  Dr.  Yates's  salary.  The  Raleigh  Association, 
at  its  last  session,  assumed  the  other  half. 

The  Woman's  Central  Committee  reports  thirty-six 
societies  and  $500  contributed,  as  against  seventeen 
societies  and  $340  contributed  last  year. 

A  collection  was  taken  for  the  Charlotte  Church, 
amounting  to  $919.50. 

The  Sunday  School  Board  is  pressing  its  work 
vigorously.  Thirty-five  new  schools  were  established 
last  year  and  the  colportage  department  is  flourish- 
ing. 

Oxford,  November  5-8,  1879. 
~N.  B.  Cobb,  President. 

Secretary  Ray  gave  six  weeks  to  visiting  Associa- 
tions, for  which  he  received  nothing  except  expenses. 
There  are  eighteen  missionaries  of  the  Board  in  the 
field,  and  nearly  as  many  associational  missionaries. 
Elder  Dodson  rarely  writes  a  report  or  makes  a 
speech  that  he  does  not  emphasize  the  importance  of 
cultivating  the  towns. 

The  Sunday  School  Board  is  doing  well.  A  good 
many  schools  were  supplied  with  literature,  and  there 
is  money  in  the  treasury.  Receipts  were  nearly 
$1,900,  of  which  $580  was  from  sales. 

Seventeen  ministerial  students  were  aided  at  Wake 
Forest  last  year. 

The  total  amount  raised  for  Foreign  Missions, 
including  the  contributions  from  the  Woman's  Mis- 


7 


98 


HISTORY  OF  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA 


sionary  Societies,  was  $2,875.70.  Of  this  amount 
the  Raleigh  and  Central  Associations  paid  $1,200  for 
the  support  of  Dr.  Yates. 

Nearly  $2,000  was  raised  in  cash  and  pledges  for 
Home  Missions. 

Dr.  Wingate,  President  of  Wake  Forest  College; 
Judge  John  Kerr,  President  of  the  Convention  sev- 
eral times,  and  Mr.  John  G.  Williams,  former  Treas- 
urer, have  all  died  since  last  Convention. 

Goldsboro,  November  17-20,  1880. 
1ST.  B.  Cobb,  President. 

Dr.  Graves,  missionary  from  China,  attends  this 
Convention.  Foreign  Missions  makes  the  best  finan- 
cial showing  yet  made.  T.  Harrison  was  in  the  field 
as  special  agent  for  the  Foreign  Mission  Board. 
Total  amount  raised  for  Foreign  Missions  was 
$4,696.46. 

The  following  report  was  submitted  by  T.  H. 
Pritchard,  T.  Whitfield  and  J.  B.  Richardson,  com- 
mittee : 

"The  committee  appointed  to  consider  the  propriety 
of  creating  a  Board  of  Foreign  Missions  for  the  Bap- 
tists of  North  Carolina,  beg  to  recommend  the  ap- 
pointment of  such  a  Board,  and  would  suggest  that  it 
be  located  in  Wilmington."  A  motion  to  table  the 
report  was  lost  by  the  casting  vote  of  the  President. 
After  discussion  by  Hufham,  Taylor,  Pritchard, 
Whitfield  and  Skinner,  a  vote  on  the  main  question 
was  taken  and  the  motion  to  adopt  the  report  was 
^ost.    The  following  resolution  was  adopted: 


BAPTIST  STATE  CONVENTION. 


99 


"Kesolved,  That  the  Foreign  Mission  Board  of 
the  Southern  Baptist  Convention  be  requested  to  ap- 
point agencies  for  the  collection  of  funds  in  this 
State  only  on  the  recommendation  of  the  Mission 
Board  of  this  Convention. " 

A  collection  was  taken  for  ministerial  education 
amounting  to  $7 00,  perhaps  the  largest  in  the  history 
of  the  Convention,  for  this  object. 

This  is  the  semi-centennial  year  of  the  organization 
of  the  Convention.  A  semi-centennial  celebration 
was  held  on  Saturday  night.  The  past  history  of 
the  Convention  was  reviewed,  and  speeches  made  on 
the  progress  of  the  different  departments  of  the  work. 
When  the  Convention  was  organized,  there  were  15,- 
000  Baptists  in  the  State.  In  1880,  fifty  years  later, 
there  were  one  hundred  thousand  white  and  eighty 
thousand  colored  Baptists  in  North  Carolina. 


100 


HISTORY  OF  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA 


CHAPTEE  VI. 
1881—1888. 

Winston,  November  9-13,  1881. 

There  are  twenty-three  ministerial  students  at 
Wake  Forest  College. 

Some  idea  of  the  growth  of  State  Missions  can  be 
gained  from  the  fields  mentioned  this  year.  Shoe 
Heel  (now  Maxton),  Rockingham,  Pittsboro,  Hick- 
ory, Morganton,  High  Point,  Salisbury,  Mooresville, 
Statesville,  Weldon,  Greenville  and  Mount  Airy  are 
the  points  mentioned  in  addition  to  what  was  done  for 
Associational  Missions.  Of  the  above  points,  all  save 
Mooresville  have  become  self-sustaining,  and  many 
of  them  are  strong  churches. 

Number  of  white  Baptists  in  the  State  at  this  time, 
103,002.  Raised  for  State  Missions  last  year, 
$2,372.90.  Elias  Dodson  is  agent  for  Home  Mis- 
sion Board.  No  special  agent  for  Eoreign  Missions. 
Reported  for  Eoreign  Missions,  $3,791.55. 

Treasurer  reported  total  of  $10,967.95^.  As  to 
how  change  was  made  for  the  half  cent,  the  reader  is 
referred  to  B.  E.  Montague,  Esq.,  who  was  Treasurer 
at  that  time. 

Treasurer  Montague  requested  that  a  committee  be 
appointed  to  consider  the  advisability  of  making  the 
Treasurer  a  bonded  officer.  Committee  recommended 
that  Treasurer  be  required  to  give  bond  of  $10,000. 
Report  adopted. 


BAPTIST  STATE  CONVENTION. 


101 


Pledges  taken  for  State  Missions  for  next  year's 
work.  This  is  the  first  time  this  was  done,  but  the 
custom  was  kept  up  for  some  years  after  this. 

The  Committee  on  Sunday  School  Board  recom- 
mended : 

"1.  That  the  Sunday  School  Board  be  instructed 
to  raise,  during  the  coming  year,  a  sufficient  capital 
to  enable  it  to  purchase  and  keep  on  hand  a  supply 
of  the  Word  of  God,  Sunday  School  literature  (song- 
books,  maps,  papers,  etc.),  in  order  that  it  may  fur- 
nish our  Sunday  Schools  said  literature,  selling  to  all 
who  can  buy  at  the  lowest  prices,  and  also  supplying, 
as  far  as  possible,  and  without  cost  to  them,  the  desti- 
tute places  within  their  borders. 

"2.  We  earnestly  recommend  that  all  of  our 
churches  take  up  stated  collections  in  behalf  of  the 
Sunday  School  Board. " 

Pending  the  adoption  of  this  report,  pledges  were 
taken  amounting  to  $1,000  as  capital  with  which  to 
begin  business.  This  was  the  beginning  of  the  Sun- 
day School  Supply  Store. 

There  are  at  this  time  622  ordained  ministers  in 
the  State,  not  including  those  in  the  Western  Con- 
vention. 

Warrenton,  November,  14-18,  1882. 

J.  C.  Scarborough,  President;  ST.  B.  Broughton, 
Recording  Secretary. 

The  report  of  the  Sunday  School  Board  shows  that 
of  the  $1,000  subscribed  at  Winston  for  the  Supply 


102  HISTORY  OF  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA 

Store,  only  $273.00  had  been  paid.  Beginning  with 
this  small  capital,  the  store  did  a  business  of  $1,- 
689.45  during  the  year,  and  reports  no  debt. 

The  Board  of  Missions  reports  gracious  revivals  in 
fifty-three  towns,  and  two  hundred  and  eighty  coun- 
try churches.  About  six  thousand  were  added  by 
baptism.  This  was  in  the  State  at  large,  and  not  the 
work  of  missionaries  of  the  Board,  though,  of  course, 
their  work  is  included.  The  Board  had  thirty-eight 
missionaries  in  the  field  last  year.  There  are  three 
counties  in  the  East  with  neither  a  Baptist  Church 
nor  Baptist  preacher;  five  other  counties  with  only 
one  Baptist  Church  each,  and  twelve  counties  with 
only  two  self-supporting  churches. 

Attention  was  called  to  the  "seemingly  inappro- 
priate names  given  to  some  of  our  churches,  and  the 
cause  they  represent,  and  that  they  should  be 
changed." 

Dr.  I.  T.  Tichenor,  new  Secretary  of  the  Home 
Mission  Board,  attends  for  the  first  time. 

The  following  telegram  was  received: 

"We  send  greetings.  Beg  that  you  will  remember 
our  Memorial  Church  at  Greenville.  (Psalm  19  :1T). 
Ladies  Baptist  Sewing  Society."  For  a  number  vi 
years  the  Convention  is  not  allowed  to  forget  the 
Memorial  Church  at  Greenville. 

W.  F.  Marshall,  senior  editor  of  the  Wake  Forest 
Student,  presented  claims  of  that  periodical.  R.  H. 
Marsh,  editor  of  the  Orphans  Friend,  asks  for 
patronage. 


BAPTIST  STATE  CONVENTION. 


103 


Edenton,  November  14-19,  1883. 

J.  C.  Scarborough,  President. 

The  endowment  of  Wake  Forest  College  is  called 
to  the  attention  of  the  Convention.  Dr.  Taylor  had 
Been  in  the  field  to  raise  balance  of  $100,000.  Sa'd 
if  he  could  get  $3,000  at  this  Convention,  he  felt 
sure  of  the  balance.  Three  thousand  and  five  dollars 
was  raised,  Dr.  Skinner  heading  the  list  with  one 
thousand.  Raised  for  State  Missions  last  year  nearly 
five  thousand  dollars  and  a  little  more  than  this  for 
Associational  Missions.  Treasurer's  report  shows 
$18,584.45.  Contributions  are  growing  beautifully. 
Five  thousand  six  hundred  dollars  pledged  for  State 
Missions  for  next  year. 

On  the  first  of  last  August  the  location  of  the 
Woman's  Central  Committee  was  changed  to  Char- 
lotte. 

This  was  a  great  Convention.  During  last  year  the 
receipts  show  $106,000,  including  amount  of  endow- 
ment. 

The  report  on  obituaries  informs  us  that  three  of 
the  most  useful  members  of  the  Convention  have 
passed  away  since  last  Convention,  viz :  Elder  W-  H. 
Jordan,  Elias  Dodson,  and  W.  T.  Brooks. 

Raleigh,  November  12-16,  1884. 
J.  C.  Scarborough,  President. 

At  the  meeting  just  after  the  last  Convention,  the 
Board  instructed  the  Corresponding  Secretary  to  em- 
ploy ministerial  students  at  Wake  Forest  and  the 
Seminary  to  do  evangelistic  work.    They  were  to  aid 


104  HISTORY  OF  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA 

pastors  who  desired  their  services,  and  take  collections 
for  State  Missions.  Twelve  students  were  engaged. 
Their  reports  show  870  professions,  663  baptisms  and 
$1,044.55  collected. 

It  had  been  customary  from  the  founding  of  Wake 
Forest  College  up  to  a  few  years  ago  for  the  Conven- 
tion to  suggest  a  number  of  names,  from  which 
number  brethren  were  to  be  selected  to  fill  vacancies 
on  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  Wake  Forest  College.  A 
motion  was  made  at  this  meeting  that  the  Convention 
elect  trustees  to  fill  vacancies.  After  much  discus- 
sion, the  whole  matter  was  tabled. 

Dr.  Hufham  introduced  the  following,  which  was 
adopted : 

"Whereas,  it  is  a  matter  of  exceeding  great  im- 
portance, that  the  connection  between  our  college  and 
the  great  body  of  Baptists  in  the  State  should  be  as 
close  as  possible,  and, 

"Whereas,  The  custodians  of  the  college,  feeling 
this,  were  wont  for  many  years  to  ask  this  body  to 
recommend  suitable  persons  from  whom  to  fill  vacan- 
cies in  the  Board  of  Trustees ;  and, 

"Whereas,  We  believe  this  to  be  a  safe  and  whole- 
some precedent;  therefore, 

"Resolved,  That  a  committee  be  appointed  to 
recommend  seven  brethren  from  whom  to  fill  vacan- 
cies on  the  Board  of  Trustees." 

This  is  the  last  seen  in  the  minutes  of  this  method 
of  electing  trustees. 


BAPTIST  STATE  CONVENTION. 


105 


"Resolved,  That  the  Convention  most  heartily  en- 
dorse the  action  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  in  electing 
Prof.  C.  E.  Taylor  to  the  presidency  of  Wake  Forest 
College,  and  that  we  pledge  to  Prof.  Taylor  our  sym- 
pathy and  support." 

Elder  R.  R.  Overby  announced  that  a  meeting  was 
held  this  afternoon  and  that  the  North  Carolina  Bap- 
tist Orphanage  Association  had  been  organized  wirh 
the  following  officers :  President,  J.  C.  Scarborough  • 
Vice-Presidents,  R.  R.  Overby  and  W.  B.  Clements; 
Secretary,  George  W.  Greene ;  Treasurer,  C.  Dur- 
ham. 

Nothing  is  said  of  the  discussion  in  the  Conven* 
tion. 

Reidsvilee,  November  11-15,  1885. 
C.  T.  Bailey,  President, 

A  committee  was  appointed  to  report  on  the 
Orphanage.  Though  there  was  some  opposition  to 
establishing  the  Orphanage,  it  now  takes  its  place 
with  the  objects  of  the  Convention,  and  becomes  en- 
trenched in  the  affections  of  the  Baptists  of  the  State. 
Committee  on  Orphanage  report  that  171  acres  of 
land  has  been  purchased  near  Thomasville,  one  house, 
the  gift  of  Elder  John  Mitchell,  has  been  completed, 
another,  the  gift  of  Mr.  John  Watson,  will  soon  be 
finished,  and  still  another,  the  gift  of  Mr.  Noah 
Biggs,  will  be  built  as  soon  as  possible. 

Greenville  Memorial  is  before  the  Convention 
again.  A  $5,000  mortgage  rests  on  the  church.  A 
committee  was  appointed  to  raise  the  amount. 


106  HISTORY  OF  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA 


There  is  a  debt  on  State  Missions  to  the  amount 
of  $557.31.  John  E.  Kay  is  elected  Secretary,  to 
give  his  whole  time  to  the  work. 

Trustees  of  Wake  Forest  College  make  report. 
One  hundred  and  fifty-nine  students  present.  This  is 
the  largest  number  ever  present  at  the  fall  term  up 
to  this  time.    Endowment  $102,999.82. 

~N.  B.  Broughton  offered  the  following  resolution: 

" Whereas,  the  ninth  day  of  December  next  is  the 
time  fixed  for  the  sailing  to  China  of  Brother  and 
Sister  Herring  and  Brother  and  Sister  R.  T.  Bry  an ; 
therefore, 

"Resolved,  That  we  make  the  ninth  day  of  Decem- 
ber a  day  of  special  prayer,  for  their  safety  on  the 
journey,  and  for  the  Lord's  blessings  upon  their 
labors  in  His  service." 

Wilmington,  November  17-21,  1886. 
C.  T.  Bailey,  President, 

Raised  for  State  Missions  last  year  $8,059.27.  No 
debt. 

"Resolved,  That  our  State  Mission  Board  be  au- 
thorized to  expend  $10,000  in  the  mission  fields  of  the 
State  next  year,  and  we,  in  Convention  assembled, 
representing  95,000  members  of  our  churehcs,  pledge 
ourselves  each  individually,  to  do  more  this  year  than 
we  did  last,  and  use  our  best  efforts  to  induce  others 
to  do  so." 

We  have  here  the  first  report  of  woman's  work 
since  1878.    The    Central    Committee   is  back  in 


BAPTIST  STATE  CONVENTION.  107 

Raleigh,  with  Miss  Fannie  E.  S.  Heck,  President, 
and  Miss  Sallie  Bailey,  Corresponding  Secretary. 
The  contributions  of  the  societies  are  now  divided 
between  State,  Home  and  Foreign  Missions. 

Committee  appointed  to  borrow  money,  if  neces- 
sary, and  pay  the  debt  on  the  Greenville  church. 

On  motion  of  Elder  McManaway,  the  report  on 
time  and  place  of  next  meeting  was  considered,  and 
on  motion  of  Elder  Durham  the  word  "Greensboro" 
was  stricken  out  and  the  word  "Durham"  inserted. 

Report  on  Orphanage  states  that  there  are  forty- 
eight  orphans  at  Thomasville. 

North  Carolina  now  has  three  men  preaching  the 
Gospel  in  China. 

Durham,  November  16-20,  1887. 
W.  H.  Pace,  President. 

Instead  of  having  a  special  agent  in  the  State,  the 
Home  and  Foreign  Mission  Boards  now  have  vice- 
presidents  for  each  State.  Theo.  Whitfield  was  the 
first  vice-president  of  the  Foreign  Mission  Board 
for  North  Carolina,  and  A.  G.  McManaway  for  the 
Home  Board. 

A  little  paper,  the  Missionary  Talk,  was  published 
monthly  by  the  Woman's  Central  Committee,  and  dis- 
tributed free  of  charge.  The  women  raised  last  year 
$1,717.46. 

Sunday  School  institutes,  under  the  direction  of 
the  Board,  were  held  during  the  year,  at  a  number 
of  important  central  points,  and  their  influence,  we 
are  led  to  believe,  was  widespread  and  helpful. 


108  HISTORY  OF  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA 

At  this  session  W.  L.  Wright  was  recommended  to 
the  Foreign  Mission  Board  as  a  suitable  man  for 
vice-president  for  North  Carolina  in  place  of  Theo. 
Whitfield,  who  had  removed  from  the  State.  Mr. 
Wright  was  appointed. 

The  following  resolution  was  introduced  by  Dr. 
Hufham : 

"Resolved,  That  as  much  of  the  report  of  the 
Board  of  Missions  as  refers  to  woman's  work,  be 
referred  to  a  committee  of  seven,  with  instructions  to 
consider  the  expediency  of  admitting  female  dele- 
gates into  this  body,  and  the  conditions  and  re- 
strictions under  which  they  are  to  be  admitted."  The 
committee  was  appointed  and  reported,  but  the  report 
was  tabled  and  is  not  printed  in  the  minutes. 

Resolution  by  Dr.  Hufham: 

"Resolved,  That  we  receive  with  pleasure  the  re- 
port of  the  excellent  work  done  by  the  Woman's  Cen- 
tral Committee  on  Missions,  and  we  cordially  bid 
them  continue  the  same,  assuring  them  of  our  sym- 
pathy, co-operation  and  aid." 

The  Committee  on  Plan  for  Caring  for  Indigent 
and  Infirm  Preachers,  "recommend  that  the  North 
Carolina  Baptist  Orphanage  Association  make  pro- 
vision, so  far  as  practicable,  for  the  worthy  and 
needy  worn-out  ministers  of  the  State.  Churches  are 
asked  to  take  at  least  one  collection  a  year  for  this 
object." 

aResolved,  That  we  sympathize  with  and  heartily 
endorse  the  effort  of  our  colored  brethren  to  found 


BAPTIST  STATE  CONVENTION. 


109 


an  Orphanage  at  Oxford,  as  represented  before  this 
Conventon  by  Eev.  W.  A.  Patillo." 

The  Board  of  Missions  and  the  Sunday  School 
Board  were  consolidated  under  the  name  of  "Board 
of  Missions  and  Sunday  Schools." 

A  resolution  was  introduced  by  C.  Durham  looking 
to  a  union  of  the  State  and  Western  Conventions. 

A  collection  was  taken  in  cash  and  subscriptions,  to 
the  amount  of  $1,037.55,  to  complete  the  Bryan 
House  in  China. 

There  are  seventy-five  children  at  the  Orphanage. 
Charity  and  Children  has  been  started  and  indorsed 
by  the  Convention.  A  collection  of  $531.98  was 
raised  for  outfit  for  Charity  and  Children. 

John  E.  Ray  resigned  as  Secretary  and  left  the 
State  to  take  a  position  in  the  Institution  for  the 
Blind  in  Colorado.  Mr.  Ray  left  in  September,  and 
Mr.  C.  Durham  was  selected  by  the  Board  to  fill  the 
unexpired  term. 

It  is  but  just  to  speak  a  word  of  Mr.  John  E.  Ray's 
work  as  Corresponding  Secretary  of  the  Convention. 
Steady  progress  was  made  from  the  beginning  to  the 
close  of  his  career  as  Secretary.  It  would  be  unfair 
to  institute  a  comparison  of  his  administration  based 
on  visible  results,  with  those  which  had  preceded  it, 
because  of  changed  conditions.  Up  to  the  time  that 
Mr.  Ray  began  his  work  as  Secretary,  the  denomina- 
tion had  not  been  organized  into  a  compact  body.  It 
is  hard  to  understand  the  peculiar  difficulties  of  those 
earlier  days.    Ignorance,  prejudice  and  suspicion  had 


110  HISTORY  OF  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA 

to  be  overcome.  To  do  this  required  great  patience. 
It  was  "line  upon  line  and  precept  upon  precept/' 
year  after  year.  Conditions  were  improving,  how- 
ever, when  the  war  came  with  its  demoralizing  in- 
fluence, and  we  had  almost  to  begin  over  again. 

It  was  seen  under  what  difficulties  Dr.  Hufham 
began  his  work,  and  how  admirably  he  succeeded 
under  the  circumstances.  Dr.  Richardson  came  next 
and  "cleared  the  deck  for  action''  by  paying  off  a 
debt  which  had  been  accumulating  for  years.  The 
circulation  of  the t  Recorder  had  greatly  increased. 
This,  as  it  has  ever  been  since,  was  a  mighty  agency 
for  breaking  down  prejudice,  disseminating  truth  and 
unifying  our  people.  Wake  Forest  College  was  now 
being  felt  in  a  better  equipped  ministry.  It  was  at 
this  propitious  time  that  Mr.  Ray  became  Secretary. 
He  was  just  the  man  to  seize  the  opportunity  and 
use  it  to  the  best  advantage.  This  he  did,  as  a  review 
of  his  work  plainly  shows.  He  first  became  Secretary 
of  the  Sunday  School  Board  at  a  salary  of  ten  dollars 
a  month,  giving  what  time  he  could  to  it,  in  con- 
nection with  his  duties  as  a  teacher.  The  Board  had 
nothing  save  a  debt  of  nearly  three  hundred  dollars 
when  he  became  Secretary.  This  debt  was  paid  off 
with  a  little  surplus  in  the  treasury  the  first  year. 
During  his  administration,  the  Supply  Store  was 
established,  a  system  of  colportage  inaugurated  and 
Baptist  headquarters  located  in  Raleigh.  On  the 
resignation  of  Mr.  Richardardson  in  1877,  Mr.  Ray 
was  employed  to  give  what  time  he  could  to  the 


BAPTIST  STATE  CONVENTION. 


Ill 


work  of  the  Mission  Board,  and  during  the  remainder 
of  his  term  of  office,  he  was  Secretary  of  the  Board 
of  Missions  and  the  Sunday  Schools.  When  Mr. 
Kay  took  charge  of  the  mission  work  there  were 
but  two  or  three  Associations  co-operating  with  the 
Convention.  When  he  resigned,  all  the  Associations 
were  co-operating;  there  were  seventy-five  missiona- 
ries; and  contributions  to  State  Missions  amounted 
to  $8,059.27.  Mr.  Bay  gave  his  whole  time  to  the 
work  from  November,  1885,  to  September,  1887. 

The  following  resolutions  were  presented  by  Dr. 
Hufham  and  adopted: 

"Whereas,  Our  beloved  Bro.  John  E.  Ray,  for 
nine  years  the  Corresponding  Secretary  of  this  body, 
has  removed  from  our  borders  to  a  distant  State ;  and, 

"Whereas,  His  wise,  unselfish  and  untiring  labors 
aided  materially  in  bringing  our  work  up  to  its 
present  degree  of  prosperity;  and, 

"Whereas,  He  greatly  endeared  himself  to  the 
Baptists  of  the  State  by  his  uniform  courtesy,  and 
by  the  sweetness  of  his  spirit;  therefore, 

"Resolved,  That  we  hold  in  grateful  remem- 
brance his  labors  of  love  while  among  us." 

C.  T.  Bailey  bought  Edwards  &  Broughton's  in- 
terest in  the  Biblical  Recorder.  Until  his  death  he 
was  sole  proprietor  of  the  paper. 


112  HISTORY  OF  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA 


CHAPTEE  VII. 
1888—1900. 

Greensboro,  November  14-18,  1888. 

W.  H.  Pace,  President  ;  W.  S.  Grandy,  Treasurer. 

Report  of  Board  of  Missions : 

Three  difficulties  last  year  ;  Enlarged  work,  poor 
crops  and  political  year.  (It  is  remarkable  how  many 
poor  crop  years  we  find  in  the  history  of  the  Conven- 
tion.) Nevertheless  $2,000  more  was  raised  for 
State  Missions  than  in  1887.  There  were  ninety-five 
missionaries  who  reported  3,252  conversions  and  879 
baptisms.  It  will  be  observed  that  there  were  more 
missionaries  in  proportion  to  the  money  raised  than 
we  have  today.  A  glance  at  the  fields  will  explain 
this.  Most  of  the  missionaries  were  pastors,  whose 
salaries  were  supplemented  by  the  Board,  by  far  the 
larger  amount  being  paid  by  the  field.  Now  we 
have  many  new  fields,  on  which  the  pastors  are 
largely  supported  by  the  Board. 

The  Gospel  Herald,  &  little  paper,  was  published 
monthly  by  C.  Durham,  in  the  interest  of  all  mission 
work. 

"Every  pastor,  aided  by  the  Board,  should  most 
earnestly  urge  his  people  toward  self-support,  and 
should  not  be  a  party  to  a  request  for  aid,  when  it  is 
the  duty  of  the  Church  to  support  itself." 


BAPTIST  STATE  CONVENTION. 


113 


"Recommendations :  1.  That  no  appropriations  be 
made  at  the  Convention,  as  this  matter  needs  calm, 
deliberate  consideration. 

"2.  That  the  length  of  time  any  Church  has  been 
helped  be  duly  considered  by  the  Board. 

"3.  That  the  Board  be  instructed  to  supply  real 
destitution  as  rapidly  as  possible,  even  if  in  so  doing 
they  have  to  withdraw  from  some  of  the  churches 
now  receiving  it." 

As  timely  as  these  recommendations  seem  to  have 
been  they  were  stricken  out  before  the  adoption  of 
the  report. 

The  Woman's  Central  Committee  report  the  organi- 
zation of  the  children  into  Sunbeam  Societies. 

Collection  was  taken  for  the  Orphanage  in  cash 
and  pledges  amounting  to  $495.75,  and  twelve  boxes 
of  clothing  and  provisions. 

Raised  for  Foreign  Missions  last  year  $8,119.24. 

Dr.  Yates  has  died  since  last  Convention.  Yates 
memorial  services  were  held,  special  envelopes  were 
sent  out  for  a  memorial  offering,  and  more  than 
$1,500  was  received. 

The  spirit  of  progress  is  in  the  air  as  the  follow- 
ing resolutions  show: 

"On  motion  of  C.  Durham,  it  was  voted  that  North 
Carolina  try  to  raise  $11,000  for  Foreign  Missions 
next  year." 

C.  Durham  introduced  the  following  resolution: 
"Resolved,    That  this  Convention  undertake  to 
raise  $5,000  next  year  for  Home  Missions." 
8 


114  HISTORY  OF  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA 


On  motion  of  F.  P.  Hobgood,  it  was  voted  to  at- 
tempt to  add  $50,000  to  the  endowment  of  Wake 
Forest  College. 

Baptist  Female  University:  Resolution  by  L.  L. 
Polk: 

"Resolved,  That  a  committee  of  nine,  to-wit  :  W. 
R.  Gwaltney,  R.  R.  Overby,  T.  H.  Pritchard,  J.  D. 
Hufham,  R.  T.  Vann,  K  B.  Broughton,  A.  G.  Mc- 
Manaway,  H.  W.  Battle  be,  and  is  hereby  appointed, 
to  consider  the  expediency  and  feasability  of  estab- 
lishing a  Baptist  Female  University  in  this  State. 

"Resolved,  That  said  committee  be,  and  is  hereby 
authorized,  to  ascertain  the  best  available  locality, 
and  to  make  estimates  on  the  approximate  cost  of 
inaugurating  such  institution  and  report  the  same  to 
the  next  annual  session  of  this  Convention.  On 
motion,  Colonel  Polk  was  added  to  the  committee  as 
chairman. 

R.  T.  Vann  offered  the  following,  which  was 
adopted : 

"Resolved,  That  this  Convention  recognizes  and 
hereby  gratefully  expresses  its  high  obligation  to 
Brother  Noah  Biggs  for  his  large  generosity  and 
faithful  services  in  the  cause  of  our  Master  in  the 
matter  of  the  Greenville  Church,  and  pray  God's 
blessings  upon  him." 

Henderson,  November  13-17,  1889. 
L.  L.  Polk,  President;  J.  D.  Boushall,  Treasurer. 
It  may  be  stated  that  Mr.  Boushall  served  as  Treas- 
urer for  eleven  years,  which  was  the  second  longest 


BAPTIST  STATE  CONVENTION. 


115 


term  of  service  as  Treasurer  in  the  history  of  the 
Convention.  The  longest  term  was  that  of  Elder 
J.  S.  Purefoy,  who  for  twenty-six  years  was  Treas- 
urer. 

Since  the  last  Convention  thirteen  missionaries 
have  gone  from  ISTorth  Carolina  to  the  foreign  field, 
though  not  all  under  the  appointment  of  the  Board. 

The  Board  recommend  that  Sunday  School  and  col- 
pcrtage  be  made  one  department.  Adopted. 

Woman's  work  is  steadily  advancing.  They  report 
nearly  $2,000  this  year. 

W.  H.  Whitsett,  Professor  in  the  Seminary,  is  in- 
troduced, as  are  I.  T.  Tichenor,  Secretary  of  the 
Home  Board,  and  A.  J.  Diaz,  Missionary  to  Cuba. 
Convention  agreed  to  raise  $5,000  for  the  house  of 
worship  in  Havana. 

A  minister's  Relief  Board  was  established,  whose 
duty  it  should  be  to  "collect,  appropriate  and  invest 
funds  for  aged  and  indigent  Baptist  ministers."  The 
Board  was  located  in  "Wilmington. 

A  Committee  on  Baptist  Female  University  sub- 
mit a  favorable  report,  but  are  unable  to  name  the 
best  available  locality,  or  make  estimate  as  to  cost. 
The  committee  asks  for  further  time,  which  is 
granted. 

"Resolved,  That  the  Committee  on  the  Establish- 
ment of  a  Female  College  be  increased  to  twenty-five 
and  that  these  shall  constitute  a  Board  of  Trustees 
to  establish  and  govern  such  institution." 

The  above  resolution  was  adopted. 


116  HISTORY  OF  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA 


E.  Z.  Simmons,  missionary  to  China,  was  intro- 
duced. 

Report  on  periodicals  evoked  quite  a  warm  discus- 
sion. The  report  is  not  given  in  the  minutes,  as  it 
was  tabled.  On  motion  of  R.  T.  Vann,  the  Conven- 
tion voted  its  endorsement  and  recommendation  of 
the  Biblical  Recorder. 

Committee  on  Obituaries  report  the  death  of 
Elders  Henry  Spivy,  John  Monroe,  John  Mason, 
James  S.  Purefoy,  William  Turner,  J.  M.  Beasley, 
J.  W.  White,  Joseph  E.  Carter,  Deacon  George  R. 
Erench,  and  Prof.  W.  G.  Simmons. 

Shelby,  November  12-16,  1890. 
L.  L.  Polk,  President. 

Foreign  Missions  is  pitched  on  a  high  key.  C. 
Durham  offers  a  resolution  that  the  Convention  under- 
take to  raise  $15,000  for  Foreign  Missions. 

State  Missions  is  in  debt  $1,028.58. 

K.  B.  Broughton  offered  an  amendment  to  the 
Constitution,  which  is  not  recorded.  The  following 
substitute,  by  Thos.  Hume,  was  adopted: 

"Resolved,1  That  the  Convention  instruct  the  Board 
of  Missions  and  Sunday  Schools  to  employ  a  suitable 
brother  as  secretary,  who  shall  have  charge  of  the 
Sunday  School  and  colportage  work,  and  the  Sunday 
School  Supply  Store. " 

Location  of  Ministers'  Relief  Board  was  changed 
to  Durham. 

A  subscription  was  taken  for  the  endowment  of 
Wake  Forest  College,  amounting  to  $3,376. 


BAPTIST  STATE  CONVENTION.  117 

The  Board  of  Trustees  of  the  Baptist  Female 
University  report  that  it  was  the  ■unanimous  decision 
of  the  Board  to  locate  the  school  in  Raleigh. 

"Resolved  1.  That  we  have  heard  with  pleasure 
the  report  of  the  Trustees  of  the  Baptist  Female 
University. 

"Resolved  2.  That  the  Board  of  Trustees  be  re- 
quested to  press  with  all  the  speed  their  wisdom  shall 
dictate,  the  completion  of  the  work  committed  to 
them. 

"Resolved  3.  That  this  work  is  most  heartily  com- 
mended to  the  sympathy  and  co-operation  of  the 
Baptists  of  the  entire  State." 

Goldsboro,  November  11-15,  1891. 

R.  H.  Marsh  was  elected  President.  No  other 
man  has  presided  so  long  over  our  Convention  save 
the  gifted  James  McDaniel. 

A  larger  amount  was  collected  and  paid  out  to 
missionaries  than  ever  before,  and  yet  there  is  a  debt 
of  $1,800.  In  discussing  this  debt  and  how  to  raise 
it,  Dr.  Hufham  read  Acts  11 :27-30,  and  stated  that 
this  was  the  only  way  out  of  the  difficulty.  A  collec- 
tion was  taken  in  cash  and  pledges  amounting  to 
$1,074.55. 

Arthur  0.  Melke  bequeathed  $6,000  to  Ministers' 
Relief  Board,  and  also  made  large  bequests  to  Minis- 
terial Education  and  the  Orphanage.  In  addition  to 
these  gifts  he  left  a  considerable  sum  to  establish  an 
Associational  School  at  Lumberton. 


118  HISTORY  OF  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA 


M.  L.  Kesler  was  elected  Sunday  School  Secretary, 
and  began  work  June  15,  1891.  The  Board  said  of 
his  work:  "It  has  been  almost  impossible  to  get  the 
churches  to  pledge  for  this  department.  Their  ener- 
gies and  sympathies  are  pre-occupied  by  the  other 
objects.  Mr.  Kesler  did  faithful,  earnest  work,  but 
there  were  no  definite  methods  outlined  by  the  Board, 
and  everything  was  in  a  chaotic  state.  The  same  diffi- 
culty obtained  then,  that  has  ever  since,  concerning 
the  support  of  this  department.  The  churches  have 
never  contributed  enough  to  the  Sunday  School  work 
for  the  support  of  the  Secretary.  Mr.  J£esler  re- 
signed at  this  Convention  to  go  into  the  pastorate. 

W.  R.  Gwaltney,  Corresponding  Secretary  of  the 
Board  of  Ministerial  Education,  reported  $2,299.32 
raised,  and  no  debt. 

The  first  annual  meeting  of  the  Woman's  Mis- 
sionary Societies  was  held  at  this  Convention.  Pas- 
tors are  taking  more  interest  in  woman's  work.  The 
contributions  increased  last  year  sixty  per  cent. 

In  his  speech  on  the  Orphanage,  Mr.  Mills  says: 
"A  characteristic  of  orphans,  when  educated,  is  hos- 
pitality and  kindness.  A  large  number  of  orphan 
girls  marry  widowers.  They  make  good  wives  and 
good  stepmothers."  He  says  again:  "We  hear  a  great 
deal  about  the  Lord's  Supper,  but  very  little  about  the 
Lord's  dinner,  as  recorded  in  Luke  14." 

Dr.  J.  M.  Frost,  representing  the  new  Sunday 
School  Board,  is  welcomed.    He  said  in  his  speech 


BAPTIST  STATE  CONVENTION. 


119 


that  three-fifths  of  all  the  white  Baptist  churches  in 
the  South  are  without  Sunday  Schools." 

"Resolved,  That  this  Convention  will  co-operate 
with  the  Sunday  School  Board  of  the  Southern  Bap- 
tist Convention." 

Raeeigh,  December  8-12,  1892. 

Institute  work  is  begun  among  the  colored  people. 

Centennial  of  Foreign  Missions.  Southern  Baptist 
Convention  is  undertaking  to  raise  a  fund  of  $250,- 
000  as  a  permanent  building  fund,  to  be  divided 
equally  between  the  Home  and  Foreign  Boards. 
North  Carolina  is  asked  to  raise  $15,000  of  this 
amount. 

After  addresses  on  Centennial  of  Missions  by 
F.  M.  Ellis  and  W.  D.  Powell,  a  collection  was 
taken  in  cash  and  pledges  amounting  to  $6,980. 

C.  Durham  introduced  the  following  resolution: 

"We  recommend  that  each  Baptist  Church  in  the 
State  hold  a  special  service  in  their  house  of  worship 
on  Thanksgiving  Day  of  each  year,  and  take  a 
collection  in  cash  and  kind  for  the  Orphanage  at 
Thomasville." 

Best  financial  report  yet  made  for  the  regular  ob- 
jects of  the  Convention.  In  round  numbers  State 
Missions,  $14,000  ;  Foreign  Missions,  $10,000  ;  Home 
Missions,  $7,000;  Education,  $3,000;  Baptist 
Female  University,  $12,800;  Orphanage,  $10,000. 
Grand  total,  $76,000. 


120        history  of  the  north  carolina 

Elizabeth  City,  December  7-11,  1893. 

J.  D.  Hufham  introduced  a  series  of  resolutions 
which  called  forth  an  animated  discussion.  The  reso- 
lutions are  not  printed  as  originally  offered,  but  as 
amended  and  adopted  they  are  here  given : 

"Resolved,  That  a  committee  of  five  brethren  be 
appointed  to  memorialize  the  Legislature  at  the  next 
session  of  that  body  on  the  friction  and  competition 
between  the  State  schools  and  the  denominational 
schools ;  and  also  to  secure,  if  possible,  such  arrange- 
ments as  will  enable  the  schools,  founded  and  con- 
ducted by  citizens,  to  do  their  work  without  unneces- 
sary competition  with  the  State  schools. 

"Resolved,  That  this  committee  be  instructed  to 
confer  with  similar  committees,  to  be  appointed  by 
other  religious  bodies  in  the  State,  so  as  to  secure 
concert  of  action."  The  competition  complained  of 
was  brought  about  by  large  appropriations  made  to 
the  State  University  by  the  Legislature.  Dr.  Taylor 
wrote  a  series  of  articles  which  were  put  in  pamphlet 
form  on  the  question,  "How  Far  Should  a  State 
Undertake  to  Educate  ?"  In  these  articles  Dr.  Tay- 
lor argued  that  the  State  should  furnish  primary 
education  because  such  education  was  necessary  to 
intelligent  citizenship ;  but  it  had  no  right  to  furnish 
higher  education.  He  held  that  to  tax  all  the  citizens 
of  the  State  for  the  support  of  State  institutions,  was 
unjust  and  wrong  in  principle.  Eor  years  the  Con- 
vention passed  resolutions  protesting  against  the  ap- 


BAPTIST  STATE  CONVENTION. 


121 


propriation  of  large  sums  to  State  colleges.  Because 
of  their  attitude  on  this  question,  the  Baptists  have 
been  greatly  misunderstood  and  misrepresented.  It 
has  been  charged  that  they  are  opposed  to  public 
education.  There  never  was  a  more  unjust  charge. 
They  have  always  been  the  friends  of  public  educa- 
tion and  in  legislative  halls  and  on  the  hustings  they 
have  advocated  larger  appropriations  to  the  State 
primary  schools. 

T.  P.  Bell,  Secretary  of  the  Sunday  School  Board ; 
F.  C.  McConnell,  Assistant  Secretary  of  the  Foreign 
Mission  Board,  and  B.  T.  Bryan,  of  China,  are  at 
this  Convention. 

On  motion  of  N".  B.  Broughton,  a  committee  is 
appointed  to  report  on  the  advisability  of  establish- 
ing a  separate  Board  for  the  Sunday  School  work. 
The  committee  called  for  by  the  above  motion  re- 
ported, recommending  the  establishment  of  a  Sunday 
School  Board.  C.  Durham  offered,  as  an  amendment, 
that  the  matter  be  referred  to  a  committee  of  seven 
who  should  report  at  the  next  session.  Beport,  as 
amended,  was  adopted. 

The  Board  reports  a  tremendous  debt.  State  Mis- 
sions is  in  debt  $3,097.10,  and  the  Sunday  School  de- 
partment $2,086.64,  making  a  total  indebtedness  of 
$5,183.74.  The  Board  accounts  for  the  debt  as 
follows:  (1)  Low  price  of  cotton  and  tobacco;  (2) 
Columbian  Exposition  took  out  of  the  State  a  large 
sum  of  money  which  would  have  gone  to  State  Mis- 
sions.   These  are  the  causes  assigned  by  the  Board 


122  HISTORY  OF  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA 

for  this  indebtedness;  but  another,  and  perhaps  the 
chief  cause,  was  the  high  pressure  methods  resorted 
to  by  the  committee  having  in  charge  the  Centennial 
Missionary  Campaign.  Those  who  were  pastors  in 
the  State  at  that  time  will  recall  what  pressure  was 
brought  to  bear  on  the  pastors  and  churches.  Every- 
thing else  was  side-tracked  for  this  movement.  The 
sum  of  $5,152.05  was  raised  for  the  Centennial  of 
Missions,  but  it  was  done  largely  by  cutting  down  con- 
tributions to  other  things,  and  there  was  a  reaction 
from  which  it  took  years  to  recover. 

The  Board  recommended  that  "a  committee  be  ap- 
pointed to  try  to  secure  one  hundred  Associations, 
churches  or  individuals,  who  will  agree  to  pay  the 
entire  debt  on  State  Missions  in  ninety  days  from 
January  1st"   Recommendation  adopted. 

R.  J.  Willingham,  the  new  Secretary  of  the  For- 
eign Mission  Board,  attended  this  Convention. 

O.  L.  Stringfield  was  elected  by  the  Trustees  as 
Financial  Secretary  of  the  Baptist  Female  Univer- 
sity. 

French  Broad,  Yancey  County,  and  Mitchell 
County  Associations  come  to  the  Convention  from 
the  Western  Convention. 

W.  H.  Pace  has  died  since  last  Convention. 

Charlotte,  December  6-10,  19^4. 

Mrs.  M.  T.  Yates,  of  China,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  C.  C. 
Newton,  of  Africa,  and  Col.  J.  M.  Heck,  of  Raleigh, 
have  all  passed  away  since  last  Convention. 


BAPTIST  STATE  CONVENTION. 


123 


By  April  1st  all  the  debt  on  State  Missions,  brought 
over  from  last  year  ($3,097.11)  was  paid  and  $500 
of  the  debt  on  the  Sunday  School  department.  The 
debt  on  the  Sunday  School  department  seems  to  have 
been  on  account  of  the  Supply  Store.  By  rigidly  en- 
forcing the  cash  system,  the  Board  was  able  last  year 
to  increase  the  assets  and  decrease  the  liabilities. 
They  feel  sure  that  the  store  will  work  itself  out 
of  debt. 

The  Trustees  of  the  Baptist  Female  University  in 
their  report  state  that  they  "have  unanimously  agreed 
to  ask  the  next  General  Assembly  to  change  the  name 
of  the  proposed  institution,  and  a  committee  has  been 
appointed  to  carry  this  determination  into  effect." 
Subsequent  history  does  not  tell  us  what  became  of 
the  committee  and  the  new  name.  Perhaps  the 
General  Assembly  Avas  so  delighted  with  the  present 
name  that  they  would  not  agree  to  change  it.  It 
seems  by  this  report,  that  the  Trustees  had  already 
unanimously  agreed.  It  may  be  stated  here,  that 
some  years  after  this  the  Trustees  changed  the  name 
to  "The  Baptist  University  for  Women." 

"Resolved,  That  the  Board  of  Missions  and  Sun- 
day Schools  be  instructed  to  appoint  a  Sunday  School 
missionary  or  missionaries,  to  labor  in  the  bounds  of 
the  North  Carolina  Baptist  State  Convention." 

"Resolven,  That  a  committee  of  seven  brethren, 
viz:  R.  H.  Marsh,  J.  D.  Hufham,  H.  A.  Brown,  J. 
L.  Carroll,  W.  L.  Poteat,  C.  Durham  and  J.  B. 
Boone,  be  appointed  to  consider  the  interests  of  our 


124  HISTORY  OF  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA 

denominational  organ,  with  special  reference  to  the 
propriety  and  feasability  of  the  consolidation  and 
unification  of  all  the  Baptist  newspapers  in  the 
bounds  of  our  Convention.  And  that  the  above  com- 
mittee be  authorized  to  advise  the  best  plans  possible 
in  this  matter/' 

Greensboro,  December  5-9,  1895. 
Since  the  meeting  of  the  last  Convention,  two  of 
the  most  prominent  and  useful  brethren  have  been 
called  to  their  reward.  For  several  years  C.  T. 
Bailey  and  C.  Durham  had  wrought  together  in  build- 
ing up  the  Redeemer's  kingdom  on  earth,  and  now 
they  are  rejoicing  together  over  their  finished  work. 
Dr.  Bailey  was  editor  of  the  Biblical  Recorder  for 
twenty  years.  During  this  period  he  guided  the 
paper  through  many  a  storm,  and  kept  it  off  the 
breakers.  He  was  a  man  of  remarkable  foresight  and 
this  stood  him  in  good  stead  as  an  editor.  His  ability 
to  "discern  the  signs  of  the  times"  kept  him  from 
many  mistakes  into  which  men  of  less  keen  insight 
would  have  fallen.  He  put  the  paper  on  a  solid 
basis,  and  greatly  increased  its  circulation  and  in- 
fluence. Under  his  wise  management,  the  Recorder 
was  sound  to  the  core,  and  as  true  as  the  needle  to 
the  pole.  As  the  leader  of  the  Baptist  hosts,  the 
paper  was  followed  by  its  friends,  and  feared  by  its 
foes,  for  all  recognized  the  wisdom,  ability  and  fear- 
lessness of  its  editor.  Our  rapid  growth  and  de- 
velopment through  these  two  decades  was  largely  due 
to  the  influence  of  the  Biblical  Recorder. 


BAPTIST  STATE  CONVENTION. 


125 


For  seven  years  Columbus  Durham  had  been  Cor- 
responding Secretary  of  the  Baptist  State  Conven- 
tion. He  entered  the  service  of  his  country  when  a 
boy,  and  fought  through  the  Civil  War.  ~No  braver, 
truer  soldier  than  he  ever  shouldered  arms.  He 
carried  his  military  spirit  into  the  army  of  his  Lord, 
and  was  as  true  and  loyal  there  as  when  fighting  for 
his  country.  He  was  a  man  of  remarkably  strong 
convictions,  and  he  had  the  courage  to  defend  them. 
Like  the  Psalmist,  he  could  say :  "I  believe  and  there- 
fore I  have  spoken."  As  might  have  been  expected, 
he  did  more  than  any  other  man  of  his  day,  perhaps, 
to  create  a  denominational  spirit  among  our  people. 
He  was  an  optimist  in  regard  to  the  Lord's  work. 
He  believed  in  God  and  in  his  brethren.  He  was 
rather  stimulated  than  discouraged  by  difficulties,  and 
he  had  the  power  to  inspire  others  by  his  spirit  of 
confidence.  He  never  knew  how  to  spare  himself  in 
the  work  of  the  Lord,  but  put  himself  and  his  all 
upon  the  altar.  The  value  of  his  life  to  our  denomi- 
nation can  never  be  estimated. 

Is  it  strange  that  a  feeling  of  sadness  pervaded  the 
Convention  when  it  was  called  to  order  in  1895  % 
"The  workers  die,  but  the  work  goes  on." 

Mr.  John  C.  Scarborough  acted  as  Secretary  from 
the  time  of  Dr.  Durham's  death  until  the  meeting  of 
the  Convention.  A  hearty  vote  of  thanks  was  ten- 
dered Mr.  Scarborough  for  this  service. 

On  motion,  a  committee  was  appointed  with  C.  E. 
Taylor  as  chairman,  and  a  representative  from  each 


126  HISTORY  OF  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA 

Association,  to  nominate  a  Corresponding  Secretary. 
John  E.  White  was  nominated  and  unanimously 
elected.  Thomas  E.  Skinner  led  in  prayer,  asking 
God's  blessing  on  the  new  Secretary. 

Dr.  Bailey  had  been  ill  for  two  years,  during  which 
time  J.  W.  Bailey  had  edited  the  Recorder.  A  com- 
mittee on  our  denominational  organ  reported  that, 
in  their  opinion,  "it  would  be  best  that  the  publication 
of  the  paper  go  on  under  the  ownership  of  the  family 
and  under  the  sole  editorial  management  of  Mr.  J.  W. 
Bailey,  son  of  our  deceased  brother,  who  has  for  two 
years  been  practically  the  editor-in-chief." 

The  Committee  on  "Separate  Board  for  Sunday 
Schools,"  report,  recommending  a  separate  Board. 
J.  C.  Scarborough  submitted  a  minority  report. 
These  two  reports  were  referred  to  the  Committee  on 
Sunday  Schools  and  Colportage.  The  report,  of  this 
committee,  which  was  adopted,  provides  for  the  ap- 
pointment of  a  committee  of  fifteen  from  the  Board 
of  Missions  and  Sunday  Schools,  to  whom  shall  be 
entrusted  the  Sunday  School  work,  and  also  the  Sup- 
ply Store.  This  committee  is  to  elect  a  Sunday  School 
Secretary.  The  work  of  the  Sunday  Secretary,  under 
the  direction  of  a  committee  is  to  be  (1)  to  gather 
statistics  concerning  the  Sunday  School  work  in  the 
State.  (2)  To  establish  new  Sunday  Schools  wherever 
practicable  and  to  increase  the  efficiency  of  existing 
ones.  (3)  To  hold  Sunday  School  institutes,  and 
introduce  the  best  literature.    (4)  To  report  to  the 


BAPTIST  STATE  CONVENTION. 


127 


Board  of  Missions  and  Sunday  Schools  and  through 
them  to  the  Convention. 

J.  W.  Carter,  chairman  of  Committee  on  Baptist 
Female  University,  reports  that  the  contract  for  the 
first  building  was  let,  and  the  walls  are  going  up. 

J.  B.  Boone  was  elected  General  Manager  of  the 
Orphanage  at  the  last  meeting  of  the  Orphanage  As- 
sociation, and  Archibald  Johnson  was  elected  editor 
of  Charity  and  Children.  The  report  states  that 
there  are  126  children  at  the  Orphanage. 

MOJKGANTON,   NOVEMBER   11-15,  1896. 

B.  W.  Spilman  was  elected  Sunday  School  Mis- 
sionary by  the  Sunday  School  Committee  which  was 
appointed  at  the  last  Convention.  Mr.  Spilman  car- 
ried our  Sunday  School  work  through  its  darkest  and 
most  trying  days.  He  met  discouragements  on  every 
band,  but  bravely  overcame  them.  The  work  was 
new,  the  brethren  were  skeptical  about  it,  and  the 
support  it  received  was  very  meagre ;  but  despite  all 
this,  Mr.  Spilman  held  on  until  he  saw  the  Sunday 
School  department  on  a  firm  footing.  He  made  great 
sacrifices  for  the  Sunday  School  Cause  in  North 
Carolina,  but  he  has  become  an  expert,  whose  ability 
is  recognized  throughout  the  country,  North  and 
South. 

Ten  years  ago  the  Woman's  Central  Committee  re- 
sumed work  after  a  lapse  of  several  years.  At  that 
time  they  reported  ten  societies ;  at  this  Convention 
(1896)  they  reported  250  societies,  and  they  have 


128  HISTORY  OF  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA 

raised,  during  these  ten  years,  $31,499.05.    A  Band 
department  has  been  organized  with  Miss  Elizabeth 
Briggs,  of  Raleigh,  as  Superintendent. 
Resolution  by  Dr.  Hufham : 

"Resolved,  That  we  undertake  to  raise  $10,000  for 
Foreign  Missions  during  the  present  year. 

The  State  Mission  Board  is  in  debt  $2,350.  Sev- 
eral reasons  for  this:  1.  Dr.  Durham's  sickness  and 
death  came  in  the  midst  of  the  Associations  last  year, 
hence  State  Missions  was  represented  at  only  twelve 
of  the  forty-four  Associations.  2.  There  was  great 
political  excitement.  3.  The  Convention  meets  a 
month  earlier  this  year.  The  Convention  resolved  to 
undertake  to  raise  this  money  within  the  next  thirty 
days. 

Dr.  Pritchard,  one  of  the  most  useful  and  beloved 
pastors  of  the  State,  has  died  since  last  Convention. 

Oxford,  December  9-13,  1897. 

The  Board  of  Missions  and  Sunday  Schools  makes 
an  excellent  report.  For  the  first  time  in  its  history 
the  Convention  reached  $15,000  for  State  Missions, 
Last  year's  debt  of  $2,350  has  been  paid,  and  the 
Board  reports  this  year  a  debt  of  only  $350. 

On  December  5th  of  last  year,  Brother  Spilman, 
becoming  convinced  that  the  Book  Store,  on  which 
the  Sunday  School  department  had  depended  for  a 
support,  could  not  be  made  to  sustain  the  work,  gave 
up  the  Book  Store  and  took  the  field  as  General 
Missionary,  to  arouse  an  interest  in  Sunday  Schools. 


BAPTIST  STATE  CONVENTION. 


129 


Since  the  first  of  March  he  has  been  doing  his  work 
practically  without  salary. 

Woman's  Central  Committee  reports  larger  in- 
crease in  contributions  and  a  greater  number  of 
societies  organized  than  ever  before.  For  the  first 
time  a  committee  was  appointed  to  report  on  woman's 
work. 

"Resolved,  That  we  will  try  to  raise  for  Home 
Missions  $4,000  by  April  30th,  in  accordance  with 
the  terms  of  appropriation  made  to  our  work,  and 
that  we  raise  $9,000  for  Foreign  Missions." 

B.  W.  Spilman  offered  resolutions  looking  to  the 
preservation  of  the  history  of  our  Convention.  The 
resolutions  suggest  that  the  Statistical  Secretary  keep 
a  file  of  all  our  denominational  papers,  school  cata- 
logues, associational  and  conventional  minutes,  the 
monthly  and  weekly  publications  to  be  bound  an- 
nually and  the  annuals  every  decade.  The  resolution 
further  suggests  that  a  fire-proof  vault  be  built  as 
soon  as  possible  for  the  safe  keeping  of  this  collec- 
tion. 

Committee  on  Female  University  report  that  the 
roof  is  now  on  the  building  and  scaffolding  is  being 
taken  down.  It  will  take  $20,000  to  get  the  building 
in  condition  to  open  next  fall.  A  collection  in  cash 
and  pledges  was  taken  for  the  Uuniversity,  amount- 
ing to  $4,714. 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  discussion  of  the  report 
on  Orphanage,  a  collection  in  cash  and  pledges  was 
taken,  amounting  to  $1,260.    This  collection  was  for 

9 


130  HISTORY  OF  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA 

the  purpose  of  building  a  house  for  the  General  Mana- 
ger. The  collection  was  taken  on  Sunday  evening. 
Dr.  Hufham  says  this  is  the  first  time  the  Baptists 
in  this  State  have  ever  built  a  house  on  Sunday. 

Greenville,  December  8-12,  1898. 

It  was  here  that  the  Convention  was  organized  in 
1830 — sixty-eight  years  ago.  "The  little  one  has 
become  a  thousand.77  This  was  an  epoch-making 
session  of  the  Convention,  too,  for  it  was  at  Green- 
ville in  1898  that  the  State  and  Western  Conven- 
tions were  untied.  An  address  of  welcome  was  de- 
livered by  C.  E.  Taylor  to  the  messengers  from  West- 
ern North  Carolina.  Remarks  were  also  made  by 
J.  B.  Boone,  W.  R.  Gwaltney  and  T.  E.  Skinner. 
The  hand  of  welcome  was  extended,  and  "Blest  Be 
the  Tie,"  was  sung. 

G.  W.  Greene,  from  China,  is  at  this  Convention. 
He  spoke  on  Eoreign  Missions. 

Enlargement  of  State  Missions  work.  "Your  com- 
mittee recommend  that  the  recommendations  of  the 
Secretary  of  the  Convention,  as  to  the  enlargement  of 
the  work,  be  adopted,  and  that  the  State  Mission 
Board  be  instructed,  as  suggested,  to  operate  on  a 
basis  of  $20,000  the  ensuing  year."  The  Board  of 
Missions  and  Sunday  Schools  was  instructed  to  select 
and  secure  a  general  missionary,  or  missionaries,  for 
the  mountain  section  of  the  State,  who  shall  work 
under  the  direction  of  the  Board.  It  may  be  said 
here  that  the  Board  secured  the  services  of  A.  E. 


BAPTIST  STATE  CONVENTION. 


131 


Brown.  Mr.  Brown's  work  was  chiefly  that  of  found- 
ing and  fostering  educational  institutions  in  the 
West.  To  A.  E.  Brown  is  due  largely  the  educa- 
tional awakening  in  Western  North  Carolina. 

J.  W.  Bailey  was  instructed  to  send  a  telegram  of 
congratulation  to  H.  A.  Brown,  of  Winston,  who, 
to-morrow,  completes  the  twenty-first  year  of  his  min- 
istry with  the  First  Church  in  that  city. 

Asheville,  December  6-10,  1899. 
E.  Y.  Mullins  made  an  address  on  the  Seminary. 
A  collection  in  cash  and  pledges  was  taken  for  the 
students'  aid  fund  at  the  Seminary,  amounting  to 
$848. 

Report  on  woman's  work :  "In  round  numbers  the 
Woman's  Missionary  Societies  have  grown  in  four- 
teen years,  from  14  to  400;  have  given  during  these 
fourteen  years  nearly  $52,000  to  State,  Home  and 
Foreign  Missions." 

The  State  Mission  Board  makes  a  great  report. 
All  the  old  debt  has  been  wiped  out  (about  $1,500 
in  all)  and  the  Board  is  due  its  missionaries  on  this 
year's  work  only  $400.  There  were  more  mission- 
aries employed  by  the  Board  last  year  than  ever 
before.  The  Treasurer's  report  shows  total  contribu- 
tions to  be  $8,000  more  than  last  year. 

Baptist  Female  University,  with  J.  C.  Blasingame, 
President,  opened  its  doors  September  27th,  1899. 
There  was  an  enrollment  of  180,  of  which  number  120 
were  boarders.  R.  T.  Yann  presented  the  following, 
which  was  adopted: 


132  HISTORY  OF  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA 

"Resolved,  That  the  Baptist  State  Convention  ex- 
press its  high  appreciation  of  the  faithful  and  effi- 
cient and  self-denying  service  rendered  by  Miss 
Fannie  E.  S.  Heck  in  securing  funds  for  the  Baptist 
Female  University,  and  that  we  cordially  commend 
her  to  the  sympathy  and  co-operation  of  all  our  peo- 
ple." 

Raleigh,  December  5-9,  1900. 

John  E.  White,  having  accepted  a  call  to  become 
pastor  of  the  Second  Baptist  Church,  Atlanta,  Ga., 
it  became  necessary  to-  elect  his  successor.  A  com- 
mittee of  one  from  each  Association  was  appointed  to 
nominate  a  Corresponding  Secretary.  The  commit- 
tee nominated  Livingston  Johnson,  pastor  of  the 
First  Church,  Greensboro,  who  was  elected  by  the 
Convention. 

J.  D.  Boushall  declined  re-election  as  Treasurer, 
and  Walters  Durham  was  elected  to  that  office. 
Baxter  Durham  had  for  some  time  been,  manager  of 
the  Book  Store.  These  are  both  sons  of  the  beloved 
and  lamented  C.  Durham. 

The  Convention  was  addressed  by  John  E.  White, 
reviewing  and  forecasting  the  State  Mission  work. 
Mr.  White  did  much  for  North  Carolina  during  his 
five  years  of  service  as  Secretary  of  the  Convention. 
He  gave  our  State  a  standing  and  prominence  among 
the  sisterhood  of  States  in  the  Southern  Baptist  Con- 
vention, that  she  had  never  enjoyed  before.  He 
possessed  ability  as  an  organizer  in  an  unusual  degree 
and  left  as  a  heritage  to  his  successor  a  superb  organi- 


BAPTIST  STATE  CONVENTION. 


133 


zation.  J.  D.  Hufham  introduced  the  following  reso- 
lutions, which  were  adopted  by  a  unanimous  rising 
vote  : 

"Whereas,  Our  beloved  brother,  John  E.  White, 
is  with  us  for  the  last  time  as  our  Corresponding 
Secretary,  and  goes  soon  to  make  his  home  in  another 
State;  therefore, 

"Resolved,  That  we  will  ever  hold  in  grateful  re- 
membrance the  wisdom,  courage  and  unselfishness 
with  which  he  has  labored  among  us  for  five  years. 

"Resolved,  That  our  hearts'  desire  and  prayer  to 
God  for  him  is,  that  grace,  mercy  and  peace  may  con- 
tinue to  rest  upon  him  honceforth  and  forever." 

J.  W.  Bailey,  for  the  donors,  presented  a  silver  ser- 
vice to  John  E.  White,  the  retiring  Corresponding 
Secretary. 

The  report  of  the  Woman's  Central  Committee 
shows  progress,  as  usual.  The  volunteer  teachers' 
movement  has  been  inaugurated.  Last  year  there 
were  sixteen  teachers  in  the  West  who  taught  from 
six  weeks  to  two  months  "without  money  and  with- 
out price,"  receiving  only  their  expenses.  They  re- 
port a  total  enrollment  of  772  pupils.  Eourteen  years 
ago  the  Woman's  Central  Committee  reported  for  all 
objects  $1,000.95.  This  year  (1900)  their  report 
shows  $9,710.84  for  all  objects. 

The  Female  University  has  entered  upon  its  second 
year.  R.  T.  Vann  was  elected  President  and  as- 
sumed his  duties  at  the  beginning  of  the  present 
session.    There  is  a  $40,000  debt  on  the  University, 


134  HISTORY  OF  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA 


owing  to  the  fact  that  the  Trustees  were  forced  to 
buy  other  buildings  in  order  to  accommodate  those 
who  desired  to  attend. 

The  following  by  J.  D.  Hufham  was  adopted: 
"Resolved,  That  the  Convention  recommend  the  or- 
ganization of  a  corporation  to  own  and  operate  the 
Biblical  Recorder,  and  the  North  Carolina  Baptist, 
if  desired,  and  appoint  a  committee  of  five  to  effect 
the  same  by  the  first  of  February,  1901,  or  earlier 
if  possible."  The  stock  company  was  formed,  the 
Recorder  was  purchased,  and  J.  W.  Bailey  was 
elected  editor. 

Mr.  Bailey  is  conceded  to  be  one  of  the  brightest 
editors  in  the  South.  He  is  an  independent  thinker 
and  vigorous  writer,  and  under  his  editorial  manage- 
ment the  Recorder  has  taken  its  place  in  the  very 
front  rank  among  Southern  Baptist  periodicals. 


BAPTIST  STATE  CONVENTION. 


135 


CHAPTEK  VIII. 
1901—1907. 

Winston-Salem,  December  4-8,  1901. 

The  Mission  Board  began  the  year  in  debt.  The 
work  was  laid  out  on  a  basis  of  $25,000,  which  was 
$5,000  advance  over  the  preceding  year.  There  was 
an  indebtedness  of  $4,611.16.  This  added  to  the 
$25,000  appropriated,  made,  in  round  numbers,  $30,- 
000  to  be  raised  for  State  Missions.  The  Treasurer's 
report  shows  that  $23,637.90  was  raised  and  $2,000 
borrowed  from  the  bank.  The  missionaries  were  all 
paid  in  full,  but  it  was  necessary  to  carry  over  the 
$4,000  debt  into  the  next  year. 

At  the  Convention  held  in  Ealeigh  in  1900  a  move- 
ment was  put  on  foot  to  raise  $100,000  as  a  "Cen- 
tury Fund,"  the  money  to  go  to  the  endowment  and 
equipment  of  our  Baptist  schools.  The  Convention 
desired,  by  the  raising  of  this  fund,  to  mark  the  close 
of  the  nineteenth  and  the  beginning  of  the  twentieth 
century.  O.  L.  Stringfield  was  elected  Financial 
Agent.  Financially  the  movement  was  practically  a 
failure.  The  committee  attributes  lack  of  interest  on 
the  part  of  the  denomination  to  short  crops  and  to 
fear  that  we  would  fail  in  our  efforts  to  raise  amount 
for  State  Missions.  All  will  now  agree,  perhaps,  that 
the  churches  could  not  be  enlisted  because  there  was 
nothing  definite  in  the  undertaking.     One  hundred 


136  HISTORY  OF  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA 

thousand  dollars  was  to  be  raised,  of  which  "one-half 
shall  be  given  to  our  Baptist  Female  University  in 
Kaleigh,  three-tenths  to  Wake  Forest  College,  one- 
tenth  to  the  Chowan  Female  Institute,  and  the  re- 
mainder to  be  divided  among  the  other  institutions 
in  North  Carolina,  which  are  owned  and  controlled 
in  trust  for  the  Baptists  of  North  Carolina  by  Boards 
of  Trustees."  That  was  too  much  of  a  sheet  lightning 
affair  to  appeal  to  North  Carolina  Baptists.  We  shall 
see  that  the  needs  of  all  of  these  institutions  were  met, 
when  each  appealed  directly  to  the  denomination  for 
aid. 

The  great  event  of  the  Convention  was  the  raising 
of  $42,647.00  in  pledges  to  pay  a  debt  that  rested  on 
the  Baptist  Female  University. 

Judge  W.  T.  Faircloth,  Chief  Justice  of  North 
Carolina,  has  died  since  last  Convention.  While  liv- 
ing, Judge  Faircloth  gave  largely  of  his  means  to  the 
Lord's  cause,  and  left  in  his  will  valuable  property 
to  the  Orphanage  and  the  Baptist  Female  University. 
With  the  money  realized  from  its  part  of  the  bequest, 
the  University  erected  the  magnificent  building  which 
bears  the  appropriate  name  of  "Faircloth  Hall." 

O.  L.  Stringfleld  resigns  as  Financial  Agent  of  the 
Baptist  Female  University.  To  no  other  man  are  we 
so  much  indebted  for  the  school,  which  is  now  the 
pride  of  our  denomination.  His  strong  faith  sus- 
tained him  in  the  face  of  greatest  discouragement 
All  over  the  State  he  went  pleading  that  we  give  our 
Baptist  girls  educational  facilities   equal   to  those 


BAPTIST  STATE  CONVENTION.  137 


which  we  had  provided  for  our  boys.  Not  only  did 
he  succeed  in  raising  a  large  part  of  the  money  with 
which  the  main  building  was  erected,  but  while  doing 
that  he  awakened  an  interest  in  the  education  of 
women,  as  a  result  of  which  more  students  were 
present  at  the  opening  of  the  school  than  could  be 
accommodated  in  the  first  building.  The  main  build- 
ing in  the  University  for  Women  will  stand  as  a 
monument  to  0.  L.  Stringfleld. 

Durham,  December  9-14,  1902. 

Subscriptions  amounting  to  four  hundred  dollars 
were  taken,  for  the  purpose  of  erecting  a  moment  at 
the  grave  of  Columbus  Durham,  and  a  committee, 
consisting  of  J.  W.  Bailey,  J.  C.  Caddell  and  Noah 
Biggs,  were  appointed  to  complete  the  arrangements 
for  the  erection  of  the  proposed  monument. 

At  this  session  of  the  Convention,  interest  centers 
on  Foreign  Missions.  W.  C.  Newton,  pastor  of  the 
First  Church,  Greensboro,  since  last  Convention,  re- 
signed as  pastor,  applied  to  the  Foreign  Mission  Board 
for  appointment  as  missionary  to  China,  and  was 
accepted.  He  expects  to  sail  for  his  field  of  labor 
in  a.  few  weeks.  Very  touchingly  he  told  of  his  call 
to  the  foreign  field.  The  great  congregation  was 
mightily  moved.  The  Convention  was  led  in  prayer 
by  A.  C.  Barron,  in  behalf  of  Brother  Newton  and 
his  wife. 

It  was  stated  on  the  floor  of  the  Convention  that  in 
some  of  our  denominational  schools  the  public  schools 


138 


HISTORY  OF  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA 


were  being  taught,  and  public  money  received  for 
same.  The  following  was  introduced  by  J.  W.  Bailey 
and  passed  unanimously: 

"Resolved,  That  we  reaffirm  ourselves  unalterably 
opposed  to  the  policy  of  denominational  schools  re- 
ceiving aid  from  the  State." 

A  committee,  which  had  been  appointed  to  report 
on  Baptist  History,  recommended  that  a  committee 
of  three  be  appointed  to  employ  a  competent  person 
to  collect  material  for  a  history  of  the  North  Carolina 
Baptists,  and  that  said  committee  be  instructed  to 
collect  funds  to  pay  the  historian  a  salary  not  to 
exceed  five  hundred  dollars. 

Archibald  Johnson  offered  the  following  resolution, 
which  was  adopted : 

"Resolved,  That  this  Convention  is  in  favor  of  the 
establishment,  by  the  Legislature,  of  a  reformatory 
for  young  criminals." 

By  request  of  an  informal  conference,  a  commitee 
was  appointed  to  arrange  for  a  mid-summer  meeting 
of  the  Baptists  of  North  Carolina.  This  committee 
selected  Jackson  Springs,  in  Moore  County,  as  the 
place  for  the  mid-summer  meeting.  For  several  years 
a  meeting  was  held  in  a.  large  tabernacle  built  for 
the  purpose,  by  the  proprietors  of  the  Jackson  Springs 
Hotel.  Social  pleasure  and  spiritual  development 
were  combined,  and  these  gatherings  were  very  en- 
joyable and  uplifting. 

W.  ~N.  Jones,  chairman  of  the  Educational  Com- 
mittee, reports  that  of  the  $42,000  pledged  at  the  last 


BAPTIST  STATE  CONVENTION. 


139 


Convention,  $31,517.50  has  been  raised.  The  debt  on 
the  University  has  been  reduced  to  $21,500. 

Resolutions  of  sympathy  are  expressed  to  our 
brethren  of  Great  Britain,  and  the  non-conformists 
in  general,  in  their  proposed  policy  of  resistance  to 
the  English  Education  Bill. 

Charlotte,  December  9-13,  1903. 

B.  D.  Gray  attends  for  the  first  time,  as  Cor- 
responding Secretary  of  the  Home  Mission  Board. 

The  Convention  was  held  in  Charlotte  in  1894 — 
just  nine  years  ago.  A  comparison  of  figures  for  this 
year  with  those  of  1894,  shows  that  the  total  con- 
tributions have  grown,  during  these  nine  years,  from 
$38,420.12  to  $82,568.38,  an  advance  of  more  than 
a  hundred  per  cent  in  nine  years. 

T.  Neil  Johnson  resigned  in  April  as  Sunday 
School  Secretary,  to  accept  a  position  as  teacher  in 
the  Baptist  University  for  Women.  The  Convention 
instructed  the  Board,  through  its  Sunday  School  Com- 
mittee, to  secure  the  services  of  a  suitable  man  for 
the  Sunday  School  work,  and  put  him  in  the  field  as 
soon  as  possible.  At  its  meeting,  which  was  held  in 
Raleigh  a  few  clays  after  the  Convention,  Hight  C. 
Moore,  pastor  of  the  Church  at  Chapel  Hill,  was 
elected  Sunday  School  Secretary. 

Upon  suggestion  of  J.  D.  Hufham,  a  free-will 
offering  of  $32  was  made  for  the  purpose  of  placing 
in  Memorial  Hall  at  Wake  Eorest  College,  a  portrait 
of  Martin  Ross,  "founder  of  this  Convention,  and 
one  of  the  first  citizens  of  North  Carolina." 


140  HISTORY  OF  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA 

The  following  resolution,  presented  by  J.  W. 
Bailey,  was  unanimously  adopted: 

"Resolved,  That  the  Baptist  State  Convention  of 
rTorth  Carolina  approves  the  suggestion  made  by 
the  General  Association  of  Virginia  to  the  Southern 
Baptist  Convention,  that  a  commission  be  appointed 
to  consider  the  obligation  of  the  Southern  Baptists  to 
the  negroes,  and,  if  it  seems  to  them  well,  to  recom- 
mend to  us  ways  and  means  of  discharging  that  ob- 
ligation." 

"On  motion  of  Livingston  Johnson,  the  President 
was  requested  to  appoint  a  committee  to  present  a  re- 
port on  the  Sunday  School  Board  of  the  Southern 
Baptist  Convention."  This  is  the  first  time  that  the 
work  of  the  Sunday  School  Board  is  presented  to  the 
Convention  by  a  formal  report. 

The  amount  to  be  raised  for  State  Missions  next 
year  was  fixed  at  $30,000. 

On  motion  of  A.  E.  Brown,  pledges  were  taken  to 
make  up  the  balance  due  on  the  indebtedness  of  Bap- 
tist Female  University;  $3,565  was  raised,  an 
amount  sufficient  to  cover  the  indebtedness. 

Elizabeth  City,  December  7-11,  1904. 
The  Committee  on  Enrollment  reported  a  hundred 
and  forty-eight  delegates  present  when  the  Conven- 
tion assembled.  A  few  delegates  came  in  after  the 
first  day,  but  the  total  number  enrolled  was  the 
smallest  in  years.  This  is  to  be  accounted  for  from 
the  fact  that  Elizabeth  City,  the  place  of  meeting,  is 
in  the  extreme  eastern  section  of  the  State. 


BAPTIST  STATE  CONVENTION. 


141 


R.  H.  Marsh,  for  the  fourteenth  successive  year, 
was  elected  President  of  the  Convention.  At  this 
session  he  announced  that  he  would  not  accept  the 
nomination  for  re-election,  after  this  year.  Dr. 
Marsh's  term  of  service  comes  next  in  length  to  that 
of  James  McDaniel,  one  of  the  founders  of  the  Con- 
vention. Dr.  Marsh  is  a  master  of  parliamentary 
practice,  and  presided  with  ease  and  dignity.  During 
his  administration  the  Convention  often  got  itself 
into  parliamentary  tangles,  but  he  led  it  safely 
through  them  all.  He  was  cool-headed,  just  in  his 
rulings  and  uniformly  courteous.  A  dignified  gentle- 
man, an  accomplished  parliamentarian,  he  graced  the 
position  which  he  held  so  long. 

In  the  report  of  the  Mission  Board  this  paragraph 
is  found :  "We  believe,  that  in  the  matter  of  disburs- 
ing funds,  appointing  workers  and  in  the  manage- 
ment of  mission  matters  in  this  State,  by  all  Boards, 
the  influence  of  the  State  Mission  Board  should  be 
paramount.'7 

At  this  Convention  there  is  a  great  call  for  men. 
On  the  mission  fields,  at  home  and  abroad,  there  is 
need  for  more  ministers.  On  Friday  morning  the 
devotional  hour  was  given  to  prayer  for  the  call  of 
ministers  from  the  ranks  of  our  Sunday  Schools  and 
churches. 

The  Convention  heartily  commended  the  great 
work  being  done  by  the  Woman's  Missionary  Socie- 
ties, and  urged  the  pastors  and  churches  to  give  to 


142  HISTORY  OF  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA 


these  good  women  their  sympathy  and  encourage- 
ment. 

W.  E.  Entzminger,  missionary  to  Brazil,  is  at  this 
Convention  and  speaks  about  the  work  in  Brazil. 

J.  C.  Massee  introduced  the  following  resolution: 

"Besolved,  That  this  Convention  instruct  its  Board 
of  Missions  and  Sunday  Schools  to  appoint  an 
evangelistic  committee  of  seven,  to  receive  its  neces- 
sary expenses  from  the  Treasurer  of  the  Convention, 
not  more  than  $250." 

Two  years  later,  largely  as  a  result  of  the  above 
resolution,  two  evangelists  were  employed  by  the 
Board. 

T.  J.  Taylor,  chairman  of  the  Historical  Commit- 
tee, submitted  the  following  report: 

"Your  committee  found  our  people  willing  to 
furnish  funds  to  have  the  history  of  North  Carolina 
Baptists  written,  but  not  being  able  to  have  the  work 
done,  we  beg  to  be  discharged." 

A  telegram  of  sympathy  is  sent  to  C.  A.  G.  Thomas, 
former  pastor  of  the  Eirst  Church,  Elizabeth  City, 
and  builder  of  the  present  house  of  worship,  whose 
illness  prevented  his  attendance  at  this  session. 

On  motion  of  C.  W.  Scarborough,  a  committee  was 
appointed  to  confer  with  the  Trustees  of  the  Orphan- 
age with  a  view  to  establishing,  if  possible,  some 
organic  connection  between  the  Orphanage  and  the 
I  Convention.  It  will  be  remembered  that  there  was 
strong  opposition  to  establishing  a  Baptist  Orphan- 
age, when  the  resolution,  providing  for  its  establish- 


BAPTIST  STATE  CONVENTION. 


143 


ment,  was  introduced.  The  friends  of  the  measure 
withdrew  the  resolution,  and  the  Baptist  Orphanage 
Association  was  organized.  There  was,  of  course,  no 
organic  connection  between  the  Convention  and  the 
Orphanage.  The  Orphanage  was  built  and  the 
churches  have  gladly  supported  it  ;  indeed  it  is  now 
the  pet  of  the  denomination.  Since  the  adoption  of 
the  resolution  introduced  by  Mr.  Scarborough,  the 
Orphanage  presents  reports  of  its  work  to  the  Con- 
vention just  as  do  Wake  Forest  College  and  the  Bap- 
tist University  for  Women. 

Raleigh,  December  6-10,  1905. 

While  the  last  Convention  was  the  smallest  held 
for  several  years,  the  enrollment  at  Raleigh  in  1905, 
was  the  largest  in  the  history  of  the  Convention. 

W.  ~N.  Jones  was  elected  President. 

The  Board  recommended  that  the  money  appro- 
priated by  the  Home  Board  to  the  Mountain  Schools 
be  so  designated,  and  that  it  be  not  counted  as  State 
Mission  funds.  "This  will  make  the  contributions  to 
State  Missions  appear  less,  but  it  will  correctly  repre- 
sent the  amount  we  contribute  to  that  object.'' 

The  Convention  adjourned,  at  12  o'clock  on  Thurs- 
day, to  attend  in  the  afternoon,  at  Wake  Forest  Col- 
lege, the  exercises  in  connection  with  the  inaugura- 
tion of  W.  L.  Poteat,  as  President  of  the  College. 

The  discussion  of  State  Missions  was  unusually  in- 
teresting. Missionaries  from  different  sections  gave 
briefs  accounts  of  their  work,  and  the  Convention 


144  HISTORY  OF  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA 

was  stirred  as  they  listened  to  these  stories  of  trials 
and  triumphs. 

In  the  summer  of  1905,  J.  B.  Boone  resigned  as 
General  Manager  of  the  Orphanage,  and  M.  L.  Kes- 
ler  was  elected  to  succeed  him.  When  Mr.  Boone  as- 
sumed charge  there  were  126  children  in  the  Orphan- 
age. When  he  left  there  were  more  than  300.  Mr. 
Boone's  was  a  very  wise  and  aggressive  administra- 
tion. He  will  go  down  in  history  as  the  "Building 
Manager"  of  the  Orphanage.  Several  excellent  and 
much-needed  buildings  were  erected,  and  some  of  the 
old  ones  greatly  improved,  under  his  management. 

The  following  important  resolution  was  offered  by 
J.  W.  Bailey  and  unanimously  adopted: 

"Resolved,  That  this  Convention  propose  to  the 
churches  that  they  undertake  right  away  $150,000 
for  the  endowment  fund  of  Wake  Forest,  and  to  this 
end  that  the  Trustees  of  the  College  be  authorized  to 
devise  ways  and  means." 

A  resolution  was  introduced  by  B.  W.  Spilman, 
providing  for  the  appointment  of  a  committee  of  five 
to  take  into  consideration  the  advisability  of  securing 
one  or  more  assembly  grounds.  The  resolution  was 
adopted,  and  a  committee  appointed,  consisting  of  J. 
H.  Tucker,  B.  W.  Spilman,  Hight  C.  Moore,  ST.  B. 
Broughton,  and  H.  W.  Battle. 

The  Woman's  Auxiliary  Union,  which  for  years 
held  its  annual  meetings  at  the  same  time  and  place 
at  which  the  Convention  held  its  sessions,  decided 
to  hold  their  next  meeting  with  the  First  Church  in 


BAPTIST  STATE  CONVENTION.  145 

Durham,  and  selected  April  instead  of  December,  as 
the  time  of  meeting.  This  change  was  made  because 
the  large  number  of  delegates  which  attended  both 
meetings,  made  the  entertainment  of  the  two  meet- 
ings quite  a  burden  to  any  community.  Miss  Fannie 
E.  S.  Heck,  who,  practically  since  the  beginning  of 
the  woman's  work  in  the  State,  has  been  President 
of  the  Union,  was,  in  May,  1906,  elected  President 
of  the  Woman's  Missionary  Union  Auxiliary  to  the 
Southern  Baptist  Convention.  This  so  increased  her 
burdens,  that  it  was  found  necessary  to  create  the 
office  of  Corresponding  Secretary  of  the  Woman's 
Missionary  Union  of  North  Carolina.  Mrs.  Hight 
C.  Moore  was  elected  to  this  position  and  is  filling 
the  place  most  acceptably.  Miss  Heck  is  still  Presi- 
dent of  the  Union  in  this  State,  and  her  interest  in 
the  State  work  has  not  abated  one  whit.  Too  high 
an  estimate  can  not  be  put  upon  the  work  of  Miss 
Heck  as  President,  and  Mrs.  W.  N.  Jones,  as  Secre- 
tary and  Treasurer  of  the  Woman's  Auxiliary  Union. 
Through  all  these  years  they  have  wrought  together, 
and  the  remarkable  success  of  the  societies  in  the 
State  is  largely  attributable  to  their  unselfish  labors. 
"The  Young  Woman's  Auxiliary  Department"  was 
organized,  with  Miss  Mary  K.  Applewhite,  Dean  of 
the  Normal  Department  in  the  Baptist  University  for 
Women,  as  Secretary. 

Braxton  Craig,  Rocky  Mount,  was  elected  evan- 
gelist for  the  East,  and  W.  R.  Bradshaw,  of  Reids- 
ville,  evangelist  for  the  West. 
10 


146  HISTORY  OF  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA 

Greensboro,  December  5-9,  1906. 

The  Committee  on  "Assembly  Grounds"  report 
that  they  had  secured  an  option  on  940  acres  of  land 
at  the  Swannanoa  Tunnel,  on  the  crest  of  the  Blue 
Bidge  Mountains.  This  property  was  afterward  pur- 
chased, and  a  charter  obtained  from  the  Legislature, 
which  convened  in  1907.  Lots  are  being  sold  to  Bap- 
tists throughout  the  South  and  as  rapidly  as  possible 
the  grounds  will  be  developed. 

There  were  two  mountain  peaks  in  this  Conven- 
tion: one  was  the  discussion  of  State  Missions  and 
the  other  the  endowment  movement  for  Wake  Forest 
College. 

The  report  on  State  Missions  came  up  at  11  o'clock 
on  Friday.  One  of  the  most  notable  speeches  ever 
delivered  on  the  floor  of  the  Convention,  was  made 
by  J.  W.  Bailey,  on  "The  Strategic  Hour  in  North 
Carolina  Baptist  Progress."  Last  year  the  Board 
operated  on  a  basis  of  $30,000.  They  recommended 
in  their  report  to  the  present  Convention  that  the 
figures  be  fixed  at  $40,000.  In  speaking  of  our  great 
opportunity,  Mr.  Bailey  said,  "The  Board  has  recom- 
mended that  we  raise  $40,000  next  year.  We  could 
use  $50,000  to  great  advantage."  Cries  of  "Make  it 
fifty!  Make  it  fifty!"  were  heard  from  every  part  of 
the  building.  It  was  a  remarkable  hour  in  the  Con- 
vention's history.  Mr.  Bailey's  speech  was  put  in 
tract  form  and  did  much  to  arouse  the  Baptists  of  the 
State  to  the  importance  of  sustaining  the  work  of 
State  Missions  in  this  "strategic  hour." 


BAPTIST  STATE  CONVENTION.  147 

Friday  evening  the  endowment  of  Wake  Forest 
College  was  made  the  special  order.  The  General 
Education  Board  had  proposed  to  give  $37,500  on 
condition  that  the  Baptists  of  the  State  raise  $112,- 
500,  making  a  total  of  $150,000.  A  subscription  was 
taken  in  pledges  amounting  to  $32,000.  There  was 
great  enthusiasm  during  the  discussion  and  raising 
of  these  pledges.  To  J.  B.  Carlyle,  Professor  of 
Latin  in  Wake  Forest  College,  was  entrusted  the 
work  of  securing  the  $112,500  to  be  contributed  by 
the  Baptists  of  the  State.  He  entered  upon  his  duties 
as  Financial  Agent  in  the  spring  and  was  inde- 
fatigable in  his  labors  until  the  meeting  of  the  Con- 
vention in  1907.  Prof.  Carlyle  not  only  succeeded 
in  securing  in  notes  the  full  amount  he  set  out  to 
raise,  but  his  canvass  did  much  to  strengthen  the  tie 
between  the  college  and  the  denomination. 

The  Convention  has  not  held  a  greater  meeting  in 
recent  years  than  the  one  which  closed  its  session  in 
Greensboro,  December  9,  1906. 

Wilmington,  December  4-7,  1907. 

W.  ~N.  Jones  declined  re-election  as  President,  and 
J.  B.  Carlyle  was  elected.  Mr.  Jones  is  a  man  whom 
the  Baptists  delight  to  honor.  He  is  a  modest  Chris- 
tian gentleman,  and  did  not  want  the  position  of 
honor  which  his  brethren  forced  upon  him.  For  two 
years  he  presided  with  grace  and  dignity,  and  it  was 
only  out  of  deference  to  his  wishes  that  the  Conven- 
tion allowed  him  to  retire  from  the  President's  chair. 


148  HISTOEY  OF  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA 

J.  W.  Bailey  sold  his  interest  in  the  Biblical  Re- 
corder to  C.  W.  Blanchard,  who  became  editor  May 
the  first,  1907.  Just  before  the  Convention  the  Re- 
corder Company  bought  the  North  Carolina  Baptist, 
which  had  been  owned  and  edited  for  several  years 
by  John  A.  Oates,  of  Fayetteville. 

In  order  that  there  might  be  a  more  vital  relation 
between  the  Convention  and  the  Recorder,  the  Direc- 
tors of  the  Recorder  Company  submitted  a  proposi- 
tion to  the  Convention,  asking  the  Convention  to  "ap- 
point a  committee  of  seven,  who  shall  be  non-stock- 
holders, who,  with  the  Directors,  shall  constitute  a 
committee,  which  committee  shall  elect  the  editor  of 
the  paper. "  This  proposition  was  accepted,  and  the 
following  brethren  were  apointed  as  the  Convention's 
committee :  W.  C.  Dowd,  F.  P.  Hobgood,  J.  C.  Mas- 
see,  J.  T.  Alderman,  Wm.  Lunsford,  C.  A.  Jenkens 
and  C.  J.  Thompson.  The  committee  met  in  Raleigh 
after  the  Convention  and  elected  Rev.  Hight  C. 
Moore  editor  of  the  Biblical  Recorder. 

Mr.  Blanchard  left  a  pleasant  pastorate  to  become 
editor  of  the  Recorder.  It  will  be  remembered  that 
on  two  occasions  the  Convention,  by  resolution,  ex- 
pressed its  wish  that  there  might  be  a  unification  of 
the  Baptist  papers  in  the  State.  The  suggestion  of 
the  Convention  was  carried  into  effect  while  Mr. 
Blanchard  was  editor  of  the  Recorder.  A  very 
amicable  and  satisfactory  arrangement  was  made 
with  Mr.  John  A.  Oates,  editor  and  proprietor  of 
the  North  Carolina  Baptist,  whereby  the  Recorder 


BAPTIST   STATE  CONVENTION. 


149 


Company,  by  purchase,  became  the  owner  of  the 
North  Carolina  Baptist.  Mr.  Blanch ard  made  many 
friends  while  editor  of  the  Recorder,  who  will  wish 
for  him  the  highest  measure  of  success  as  he  re- 
enters the  pastorate.  During  his  management  of  the 
paper  it  was  safe,  sane  and  sound. 

Mr.  Moore  comes  to  the  editorial  chair  well  fitted 
for  his  work.  He  is  a  man  of  gentle  spirit,  ripe 
scholarship,  broad  culture  and  editorial  instinct.  He 
is  the  author  of  several  books  of  merit,  and  has  been 
a  valuable  contributor  to  both  the  secular  and  reli- 
gious press.  For  years  he  has  been  a  close  and  critical 
student  of  the  Bible,  and  will  keep  the  paper  true  to 
its  name — the  Biblical  Recorder. 

W.  R.  Gwaltney,  one  of  the  oldest  and  most  useful 
members  of  the  Convention,  was  prevented  from  at- 
tending this  session  on  account  of  sickness.  He  sent 
the  following  telegram:  "Too  sick  to  be  with  you. 
Numbers  13  :30,  'Let  us  go  up  at  once  and  possess  it  ;, 
for  we  are  well  able  to  overcome  it.'  " 

This  is  the  dying  message  of  a  brave  soldier,  who 
had  fallen  on  the  field  of  battle,  to  those  in  the  front 
ranks.  A  few  days  after  the  Convention  adjourned, 
Dr.  Gwaltney  was  called  to  his  reward.  He  well  de- 
served the  title  of  "Church  Builder/'  which  was 
given  him  by  his  brethren.  At  many  important 
points  he  laid  the  foundations  deep  and  strong.  He 
was  a  trustee  of  Wake  Forest  College  and  of  the  Or- 
phanage, and  was  deeply  interested  in  every  denomi- 
national enterprise. 
ii 


150 


HISTOKY  OF  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA 


The  following  resolution  was  offered  by  R.  E. 
Neighbor,  and  adopted: 

"Resolved,  That  the  Convention  by  rising  vote  ex- 
tend to  J.  W.  Bailey  and  John  A.  Oates  their  deepest 
appreciation  of  the  service  rendered  by  them  to  our 
Lord  Jesus  and  to  our  Baptist  brotherhood. 

"These  men  for  years  toiled  as  editors  of  the  Re- 
corder and  N.  C.  Baptist  respectively.  They  worked 
in  harmony  as  editors,  and  in  their  retiring  from  ac- 
tive editorial  life  we  desire  to  express  our  apprecia- 
tion of  their  service." 

Subscriptions  were  taken  amounting  to  $10,200  to 
complete  the  $150,000  additional  endowment  for 
Wake  Forest  College. 

The  following  resolution,  offered  by  Hight  C. 
Moore,  was  unanimously  adopted  by  rising  vote: 

"Whereas,  This  session  marks  the  twenty-fifth  an- 
niversary of  the  unbroken  service  of  Bro.  N.  B. 
Broughton  as  Recording  Secretary  of  the  Convention ; 
therefore,  be  it 

"Resolved,  That  we  hereby  express  our  grateful 
appreciation  of  his  faithful  and  efficient  services  dur- 
ing this  most  prosperous  quarter  century  in  the  his- 
tory of  North  Carolina  Baptists." 

Mr.  Broughton  has  always  been  deeply  interested 
in  the  Sunday  School  work.  Time  and  again  he  has 
urged  its  importance  at  the  meetings  of  the  Conven- 
tion. For  years  he  has  been  Chairman  of  the  Sun- 
day School  Committee  of  the  State  Mission  Board. 
He  has  been  Superintendent  of  the  Tabernacle  Sun- 


BAPTIST   STATE  CONVENTION. 


151 


day,  School,  in  Raleigh,  for  thirty-two  years.  Under 
his  leadership  it  has  grown,  from  a  little  mission 
school,  to  be  the  largest  in  the  State. 

CONCLUSION. 

This  is  a  brief  and  imperfect  review  of  the  work 
done  by  the  Baptists  of  the  State  since  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  Convention  in  1830.  It  is  simply  a  com- 
pilation of  the  history  as  they  made  it  and  as  it  was 
recorded  annually  by  the  Secretary.  Of  course  all 
they  did  could  not  be  noted  in  a  work  so  brief  as  this ; 
but  the  most  important  matters  have  been  gathered. 

Just  a  glance  backward  may  give  us  some  faint 
idea  of  what  the  Baptists,  by  organized  effort,  have 
accomplished  in  the  State  during  these  seventy-seven 
years. 

When  the  Convention  was  organized  in  1830, 
there  were  15,000  Baptists,  white  and  colored,  in  the 
State;  now  there  are  more  than  350,000.  Then  we 
had  no  school,  no  orphanage,  no  denominational 
paper ;  now  we  have  all  these  and  all  are  flourishing. 
The  first  year  the  Convention  met,  it  reported  for 
education  and  State  Missions,  the  two  objects  to 
which  it  contributed,  $700.  This  year  (1907)  total 
contributions  to  the  benevolent  objects  reached  $128,- 
719.45. 

It  was  the  organization  of  the  State  Convention, 
and  the  exceedingly  wise  plans  laid  by  its  founders, 
that  secured  this  marvelous  growth. 

In  reading  this  history  some  may  have  gotten  the 


152  HISTOEY  OF  THE  NOKTH  CAROLINA 

impression  that  there  was  never  any  manifestation  of 
spiritual  power  in  the  Convention;  that  it  was  only 
concerned  with  material  things  such  as  money  and 
method.  If  any  one  has  reached  any  such  conclusion, 
he  is  very  much  mistaken.  All  along  through  the 
years,  there  have  been  seasons  of  great  spiritual  re- 
freshing during  the  sessions  of  the  Convention.  A 
half  hour  is  set  apart  every  morning  for  devotional 
exercises.  This  time  is  given  to  song  and  prayer  and 
an  interchange  of  experiences.  During  these  delight- 
ful services  the  hearts  of  those  present  are  frequently 
stirred  to  their  profoundest  depths.  The  speeches  on 
the  different  objects  are  often  characterized  by  great 
spiritual  fervor.  Frequently  during  the  deliberations 
some  brother  will  suggest  that  the  Convention  be  led 
in  special  prayer  for  some  object.  When  such  re- 
quest is  made  the  Convention  suspends  whatever  mat- 
ter of  business  it  is  considering,  and  gathers  about 
the  Father's  throne.  The  Secretary  keeps  an  accu- 
rate record  of  the  business  done.  He  records  the  mo- 
tions, the  resolutions  and  the  reports.  His  record 
reveals  but  the  wheels  of  the  machinery ;  but  behind 
this,  the  spiritual  fervor  is  a  mighty  reserve  force 
which  falls  upon  the  wheels  and  imparts  to  them  life 
and  power. 

Those  who  judge  of  the  Convention  by  reading  the 
records  of  its  proceedings,  see  only  the  wheels,  but 
those  who  attend  the  sessions  know  that  often  great 
waves  of  spiritual  fervor  have  swept  over  and  moved 
the  great  gathering.    Those  who  have  been  present 


BAPTIST  STATE  CONVENTION. 


153 


on  such  occasions  can  say  with  Ezekiel,  "The  Spirit 
of  the  Living  Creature  was  in  the  wheels."  The  ma- 
chinery is  necessary,  money  and  methods  are  im- 
portant in  their  places ;  but  may  the  day  never  come 
when  the  Baptists  of  North  Carolina  will  fail  to  put 
the  emphasis  on  the  spiritual.  We  must  never  forget 
that  it  is  "not  by  might  nor  by  power,  but  by  my 
Spirit,  saith  the  Lord  of  hosts." 

With  such  a  grand  foundation  laid  at  so  great  cost, 
should  we  not  count  ourselves  highly  favored  in  hav- 
ing the  opportunity  of  adding  our  part  to  this  glorious 
structure  ? 


I         PROGRAM  i 


OF  THE 


8th  Annual  Convention 


|  OF  THE 


Wilson  County  Interdenominational 
Sunday  School  Association 


3> 


|    MARSH  SWAMP  FREE  WILL  BAPTIST  CHURCH  f 

|         One-fourth  mile  west  of  Rock  Ridge  Academy  | 


I    Saturday  and  Sunday.  Nov.  15  and  16,  1913. 


PROGRAM 

Saturday  Morning,  November  15,  1913. 

10:30  a.  m. — Devotional  Service,  by  Rev.  M.  Bradshaw. 

10:50  Welcome  Address,  by  Rev.  C.  O.  Armstrong,  Pastor 
Marsh  Swamp  Church. 

11:00   Response  by  President  of  County  S.  S.  Association. 

11:10  Address,  "The  Sunday  School  and  its  effect  on  Church 
and  Community,  by  Rev.  T.  W.  Chambliss,  Pastor  Bap- 
tist Church,  Wilson,  N.  C. 

1 1 :35  Address,  "The  Sunday  School  Pupil  and  the  Teacher's 
Task,"  by  Mr.  M.  W.  Brabham,  of  Raleigh,  Sunday 
School  Field  Secretary  N.  C.  Methodist  Conference. 

12:10  p.  m. — Enrollment  of  Delegates  and  appoint  Committees 

Saturday  Afternoon 
1:30  p.  m. — Song  Service. 

1 :45  Address,  "A  Four  Square  Man,"  by  Rev.  Richard  Bagby, 
Pastor  Christian  Church,  Wilson,  N.  C. 

2:15  Address,  "The  Relation  of  the  Story  in  Primary  Depart- 
ment," by  Miss  Daphne  Caraway,  of  Wilson,  Supt. 
Primary  Department,  Wilson  Presbyterian  Church. 

2:45  Round  Table,  "The  S.  S.  Teacher,"  conducted  by  Rev. 
J.  Walter  Long,  of  Greensboro,  General  Secretary  N. 
C.  Sunday  School  Association. 

3:15  Address,  "The  Sunday  School,  a  Factor  in  Americas' 
Mission,"  by  Mr.  T.  C.  Council  of  Raleigh,  Pres.  Simms 
Baraca  Class  of  Tabernacle  Sunday  School. 

Saturday  Night 

7:30  p.  m. — Devotional  Service,  by  Rev.  C.  O.  Armstrong. 
7:50   Address,  "When  is  Organization  of  a  Sunday  School 

Complete,"  by  Rev.  J.  Walter  Long. 
8:20   Address,  by  Hon.  J.  A.  Brown  of  Chadbourne,  Pres.  of 

North  Carolina  Sunday  School  Association. 
8:55   Report  of  Officers  and  Committees. 


/ 


Sunday  Morning,  Nov.  16. 

10:00  a.  m. — Devotional  Service,  by  Rev.  C.  O.  Armstrong. 

10:30  Address,  "The  Sunday  School  an  Educational  Institu- 
tion and  its  Relation  to  the  Church  and  State,"  by 
Prof.  E.  W.  Sikes  of  Wake  Forest  College. 

11:05.  Address,  "The  Trained  S.  S.  Worker  a  Necessity  for 
Christian  Progress,"  by  Mr.  M.  W.  Brabham,  of  Raleigh 
S.  S.  Field  Secretary  N.  C.  Methodist  Conference. 

11:40.  Address,  "The  World's  Seventh  Sunday  School  Con- 
vention recently  held  at  Zurich  Switzerland,"  by  Rev. 
J.  Walter  Long,  of  Greensboro,  who  was  a  delegate 
at  the  Convention. 

12:15.    Adjourn  for  dinner. 

Afternoon  Session 
1:45.  p.  m. — Song  Service. 

2:00.  Address,  "The  Child,"  by  Hon.  J.  A.  Brown,  of  Chad- 
bourne  Pres.  N.  C.  Sunday  School  Association. 

2:35.  Round  Table,  "S.  S.  Management,"  conducted  by  Mr. 
M.  W.  Brabham,  of  Raleigh. 

3:00.  Address,  "Organized  Class  Work  and  what  it  is  ac- 
complishing," by  Rev.  J.  Walter  Long,  of  Greensboro. 

3:30.    Address,  by  Prof.  E.  V/.  Sikes  of  Wake  Forest. 

-SEE  BACK  PAGE 


NOTES 


<ns*_?> 

1.  Every  S.  S.  in  the  County  should  be  represented  in  this 
Convention  and  delegates  are  invited  to  take  part  in  all  dis- 
cussions. Go  for  the  opening  session  and  remain  for  the 
close.   Should  not  miss  any  the  good  things  to  be  said. 

2.  Every  Pastor,  Superintendent  and  Teacher  in  the  County 
should  be  present  as  many  sessions  as  possible. 

3.  Every  Pastor  in  the  °o   n  obligation  to  the 

cause.  ______  


4.  All  money  intended  f  >x 
sent  to  Secretary  or  brow 


should  be 


5.  Bring  pencil  and  pad  —    car       ;  ia    s  home  with  you. 

6.  Distinquished  Spe  o  b  ch  Session.  The 
President  of  State  Sunday  School  As°' \tion,  General  Sec- 
retary State  Association,  the  Sunda>  io\  Field  Secretary 
of  N.  C.  Methodist  Conference  ai  ?rs  of  the  faculty  of 
some  of  States  best  Colleges  are  on  1  rogram. 


WILSON  PRINTING  CO.,  WILSON,  N.  C. 


£66    J6?.¥£,  53873 


